The Little Things
by TheRepeat
Summary: Since the end of the war, Corrin has barely had a moment to himself. Though he's threatening to collapse under the weight of his work, what keeps him going is HER.
1. Monotony

_Author's note:_

 _This story was written in its entirety before uploading, and was initially intended to be a oneshot before length demanded it be split. In light of that, it would be best to read to the end before reviewing. Thank you :)_

* * *

 **The Little Things**

* * *

 **I. Monotony**

 **March 8: Noon**

"Now what should I do?" Felicia murmured to herself, tapping her chin thoughtfully. She watched Corrin lying slumped over his desk, breathing deeply and evenly. He looked so peaceful; his sleeping face brought a smile to hers. Really, she wanted to let him sleep.

"And he told me not to interrupt him," she added, still talking to herself. "Well not _me,_ but anyone." Felicia faked a deep voice, puffing out her chest: "'No disturbances, Felicia! I need this time to work!'" Then the maid deflated with a sigh. "That wasn't even a good impression… He was polite about it, obviously."

Returning her attention to the sleeping dragon prince, she frowned at the papers Corrin was currently drooling on. "…That paperwork may be the reason he's so sleepy, but they're still important enough to save," Felicia whispered. "I think he'll understand if I wake him up… after all, he wanted this time to work, anyways."

Her hands fidgeted indecisively as she continued to watch him sleep.

"…Maybe I'll just tap him on the shoulder," Felicia pondered, "and then, while he's gathering his bearings, I'll _book_ it out of the room! He won't even know I was here!"

She didn't make a move.

"Or," she thought with a sigh, "I could just wake him up like a normal human being." Shaking her head, she finally approached Corrin. The maid bent over to place her hand on his shoulder and gently shake him; "Lord Corrin?"

"Mmph."

Felicia couldn't help but smile as Corrin came to, blinking his eyes rapidly. "I know you said I shouldn't disturb you, but I could hear your snoring from outside."

"Mnhh…" Corrin rubbed his eyes sullenly, sitting up in his chair. "…Thanks, Felicia."

Felicia clasped her hands behind her back, leaning over his shoulder and squinting at the papers he was now clumsily wiping his own drool from. "'Proposal for trade negoti…' Corrin, are you _writing_ this?"

Corrin took a moment to stretch his arms, and after that, he cleared his throat and reached for his pen. "Yeah." He gestured vaguely at the papers scattered across his desk. "For the meeting coming up, Ryoma asked if I'd mediate. Entails writing a proposal and presenting it to the Nohrian… advisory… council, thing." Corrin trailed off with a yawn. "The governing body, whatever."

"Okay… but why are you writing the proposal _yourself?_ You're royalty, so someone should be writing this for you, right?" Felicia mock-gasped; "Unless you've been a commoner like me all along?! Boy, that'd be a shock!"

Corrin waved away her joke. "Yeah, normally I'd only have to present it, but I told my brother I'd write it too. Something… haaaaa." He yawned again. "Something to keep me busy, you know?"

"Busy," Felicia scoffed. "This isn't 'busy,' this is 'swamped.' Corrin, you passed out while working!"

Corrin grunted dismissively. "At least I'm getting sleep somehow."

She hesitated. "…What?"

"Nothing, nothing," Corrin muttered, regretting what he'd said. Sure enough, Felicia was abuzz with concern, checking his forehead, his pupils, his… pulse. "Gods, Felicia, I'm not _dead,_ I've just been… Sheesh." He caught her wrist, prying it away, gently indicating Felicia to back off. "I've just had some trouble sleeping lately."

Felicia pursed her lips as she watched Corrin's surly expression. What she'd misconstrued as tired grumpiness was, she now realized, actual negativity. Same old, same old, unfortunately. He'd been like this for a while.

"Well, you should stop this," Felicia ordered. "Just pass it off to someone else! This is stressing you out too much."

When she reached over to snatch the pen from his fingers, he leaned away and stopped her hand. "I'm fine," he snapped. "Could you just get me some tea?"

Felicia pouted. "Please don't tell me you're going to work on this all day?"

"No, I'm not," Corrin muttered. "In case you forgot, I have guests to greet this afternoon, too. And before that I have messengers to speak to, and then the Hoshidan financial staff, and if I'm lucky then lunch will—"

"Okay!" Felicia exclaimed, putting her hands up defensively. "Okay, I'll get you some tea and leave you alone. But call for me if you aren't feeling well, all right?"

"Sure."

As the door closed behind Felicia, Corrin couldn't help but shake his head. _'If I'm not feeling well'… Felicia, I haven't been well for a very long time._

* * *

 **March 8: Late Afternoon**

Corrin blinked rapidly when Jakob's elbow nudged him to attention; he clasped his hands together patiently and continued waiting for the front gates of the fort to finish slowly creaking open. "Thanks," Corrin muttered to his butler, who merely inclined his head in acknowledgement.

The prince rubbed his eye and yawned. He could hardly even remember who was supposed to arrive today. Nohrians, he recalled. Something about budget discussion. Couldn't wait, of course, for him to meet with the Advisory Council in just a couple of weeks. What they had to discuss with him was just _too_ important.

Soon, the gates were open, and an opulent convoy of carriages lugged inside. The next few minutes were an exhausted haze as Corrin shook hand after hand, thanking a bunch of strangers for taking time out of their day to come take time out of Corrin's too. When it was done, Jakob led the guests to their rooms, leaving Corrin alone at last; he took the time to lean against one of the carriages and catch his breath.

 _They'll be busy with themselves until the morning,_ Corrin thought. _I can't progress much farther on my proposal without their input, so I guess I'll… wait for them._

He froze.

 _…Free time? Seriously? Wow. What should I do? I know what Felicia would want me to do, but—_

"Corrin, dear!"

The prince's head swiveled toward the voice, and immediately he broke into a wide smile. "C-Camilla?! Is that—?"

The Nohrian princess cut him off with a tight hug. "Oh, goodness, you've grown so much since I last saw you! How have you been, darling? How are your Hoshidan siblings? No wait, I don't care, tell me about you!"

Corrin pried himself out of the (more or less) chokehold. "Gods, Camilla, I'm an adult, I'm not going to get any taller—and certainly not after just three months," he chided, but he couldn't not smile. "It's been so long…! I'm so glad to see you, Camilla." He shook his head. "Wh-What brings you all the way over here? I thought it was just going to be some stuffy Nohrian bureaucrats."

"Tsk, tsk!" Camilla tapped him on the nose with each tsk. "You forget, sweetie, that since the war is now over, I myself am a stuffy Nohrian bureaucrat! So, as much as I would love to say I only came this far for you, I am in fact here for work. The same work as yours, I would imagine."

"Oh." Corrin shook his head, fighting the creeping cynicism. "Well, I, I'm glad you could make it regardless. Thank you so much."

"Of course, dear," she said, tapping his nose affectionately once again. "Now, I'm afraid I will be busy for the rest of the afternoon, but I'll meet you for breakfast in the morning, okay?"

"Absolutely." Corrin hugged Camilla again, and the princess was on her way.

As Corrin watched her go, the cynicism slunk back in. _My sister comes to visit, and I'll barely have time to see her. Her free time won't even overlap with mine for the most part._

 _Gods. This is awful._

 _Why couldn't…_

"…rrin?"

He sighed deeply. _This really figures. This is just a microcosm of my postwar life. Plenty of family but no time to enjoy them. What I wouldn't give for…_

"Helloooo, Corrin?"

Corrin looked around, surprised, before his eyes settled on—"E-Elise!" He laughed. "Oh, gods, I can't believe you're here too!"

"I know, right?" Elise clasped her hands behind her back and approached, smirking coyly. "Soooo. How much didja miss me. A lot? Or a WHOLE lot?"

"Definitely a _whole_ lot," Corrin chuckled. "It's so good to see you, Elise. I've missed you so much."

"Oh, I'm sure," Elise said cheerfully, "and I missed you even more (don't fight me on this one), but here I am!" She gestured down at herself, and Corrin's eyes followed down her dress. Her usual wear, neat and well-kept.

"Very regal," he said, nodding. "So, are you gonna give me a hug, or…?"

"Like you have to ask!"

Giggling, Elise immediately leapt onto Corrin, throwing her arms around his neck. He effortlessly lifted her and spun her in a laughing embrace.

Soon, Corrin put her down; Elise backed away a bit.

"Elise," Corrin said, and his expression grew serious. "Please tell me you aren't here for work."

"Sorry, but yeah, I'm a real bigwig around Nohr lately," Elise said, nodding gravely. "You see, I'm very important, and I do very important things, like, uh…" She paused to scratch her head. "…Finance… stuff. Just like Big Sister."

Corrin squinted, watching her expression.

Elise quickly caved under Corrin's scrutiny. "Okay, okay, I'm kidding! I'm TOTALLY free!" She punched his shoulder playfully. "Really, I just came here to see you. And, I'm glad to see you. Really."

Relief washed over Corrin like it hadn't in a long time. "Oh, thank the gods. I actually get to spend time with you."

"It's been WAY too long," Elise urged. "I haven't seen you since, like, the end of the war! We've got so much to catch up on." She lunged for his hand, taking it in both of hers. "Let's hang out, right now!"

"O-Of course," Corrin stammered. Soon, she was dragging him away by the hand.

A giddy little smile grew on his face, and he didn't even try to resist.

Anything to get away from it all.

* * *

"Geez, this fort's so crowded," Elise muttered under her breath. She put her hands on her hips and surveyed the hallway ahead.

Corrin soon caught up to her, followed her eye, and sighed. The hall was bustling with people, Nohrian and Hoshidan both: soldiers, nobles, workers. "Yeah. Busy times, I guess." He glanced at Elise and gestured at the masses. "So, want to start wading through that mess?"

Elise scrunched up her face in thought. "Hmmmm…" She shook her head. "Nah. Even if we got somewhere, it would still be super noisy." She smiled at Corrin. "Honestly, I kinda wanted you all to myself this afternoon."

A grin creeped across Corrin's expression. He was about to respond, but Elise cut him off by latching onto his arm excitedly: "Ooh, follow me! I bet I can find us somewhere quiet outside of this cramped castle."

So, again, Corrin was left smiling and letting Elise drag him around. Not that he minded in the least. The alternative was—work. Nngh, and just thinking about it dredged up stress he didn't need. He squeezed his eyes shut to kick out those thoughts before they could ruin his mood. Had to keep spirits high around Elise. He couldn't possibly bear making her as—as sour as him.

He opened his eyes, and there was… green. Sunlit grass. They had left the castle behind while he wasn't paying attention, and now they were running through the afternoon plains surrounding the fort. When Corrin's gaze shifted from the area to Elise, hearing her melodic laugh ringing out, he realized that to think he could ruin her mood was a foolish thought. Elise was not the type to absorb the mood from others; she was always the one to _set_ the mood, leaving others to match her cheer.

Corrin needed that.

Elise pointed ahead. "There, over there! Oh, that tree's _perfect!"_

Corrin had to agree. The tree Elise was pointing to stood alone atop a hill overlooking the plains. If Elise wanted a relaxing setting to speak with him, under the shade of a lonely oak would be perfect.

Corrin and Elise slowed to a walk as they neared the top of the hill. Both panted slightly for breath, and Elise sprawled out under the tree's shadow, grinning widely, while Corrin leaned against the trunk to catch his breath.

"Th…There we go," Elise breathed. "Isn't this place nice?"

Corrin sat down with his back against the tree, and immediately his eye caught the fort in the distance. They must've walked nearly half a mile away. "This is… a little farther than I thought."

"Ah, but it's no big deal, right?" Elise pulled herself to a sitting position with a little _oof._

"No, definitely not." Corrin smiled at the princess. "I'm glad to be here, Elise."

She beamed. "Me too." Then, she rubbed her hands together, enthusiasm brewing a smile on her expression: "So let's catch up! What've you been up to?"

Corrin sighed. "Work." He hated to even think; thoughts of it threatened to sour this moment. "I've got this… big thing of paperwork. I have to present it to the Nohrian Advis—" He cut himself off, looking away from Elise. "…Nah, it's boring. Don't worry about it."

Elise watched him cautiously for a moment. "…Seems like it's stressing you out."

Corrin couldn't help but laugh. She'd always been so good at seeing through him. "Haha, you could say that, yeah."

"If you wanted, you could bounce it off of me," the princess offered. "Read it to me like _I'm_ your audience."

Corrin frowned. "Would you be alright with that?"

Elise shrugged with a smirk. "Why not! I'd _love_ to see Business Corrin. In-The-Zone Corrin. Super-Serious-Face Corrin. Corrin-Being-All-Real-And-Stuff. Corrin—"

Corrin put up a quieting hand. "Got it," he chuckled. "Next time we meet up, I could bring it. I'll warn you now that it isn't exciting, though."

Elise tapped her chin. "So when _can_ we meet up?"

"I think…" Corrin trailed off as his calendar came to mind. "Let's see… for the next couple of weeks, I'll be spending the days working. I'll be talking to the Nohrian and Hoshidan finance committees a lot, but they'll always be done by the evening."

Elise brightened. "So you mean—!"

"Y-Yeah, it looks like I'll always have my evenings free," Corrin murmured, almost disbelievingly. His face was still wrung out in confusion when Elise threw her arms around his neck with giggling glee. _I can't believe I'll have that much free time…_

"That's AWESOME!" Elise laughed. "We'll have so much time to spend together! Ooh, and we could make this oak tree our meeting point every day!"

Corrin sighed, his spirits deflating. "But I _should_ be using that time for working. The proposal _has_ to be ready by the time the Advisory Board can see me."

Elise puffed her cheeks out and pulled away to give the prince a serious look. "But it _would_ be working, remember? I'm helping you!"

Corrin rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Elise. I'm sorry, but I'll be busy."

"Or!" Elise put her hands on his knees urgently. "Portion it out. Look at all you have to do, divide it up, and only do part of it every day. Okay?"

"That's…" Corrin found his resolve deflating. "That's a good idea and all, but—"

"Plus, if you're not working yourself to the bone every day," Elise pinched Corrin's arm to emphasize her point, "then you'll be happier!"

Corrin mulled it over for a bit, sighing again.

Elise smiled wider, nudging him. "…And that's what I'm here for, isn't it? To make you happier?"

The prince sighed again. "Gods, Elise… Why is it so hard to argue with you?"

"You know exactly why," Elise giggled, and she stood. She put her hands on her hips as Corrin rose as well; "I am PERSONALLY making it my job to help you enjoy yourself for my whole stay here! And you know that me and Camilla aren't leaving until after your little meeting with Big Brother, so I've got _plenty_ of time."

"Big Broth—?" Corrin paused. "Gods, I forgot…! The king of Nohr has to be at the meeting!"

"Xander'll be so happy to see you," Elise giggled. "We'll all be united again, just like before!"

Corrin ran a hand through his hair, and a grin slowly sprouted on his expression. "Wow, it's… it's been so long."

"So!" Elise bounced on her toes. "What do you wanna do today?"

Corrin rolled that thought around. "Well… Felicia _has_ said I should get more exercise." He grinned sideways at her, awaiting her expected enthusiasm.

Sure enough, excitement brightened Elise's expression. _"Well_ then! Have I got just the medicine for that!" She immediately lunged to poke his arm: "Tag!"

"Ohoho, you're asking for it!"

Laughing with atypical mirth, Corrin chased Elise as she fled.

* * *

 **March 9: Morning**

"Haaaaa…"

For Corrin's first act of the day, he stretched his arms high over his head and released a bellowing yawn. He'd yawned more than his fair share in the last few days, but this one was especially satisfying.

He sat up in his bed, glancing around his empty room. It seemed somehow brighter than it had recently—

Knock, knock. The sound pulled Corrin from thought before he could even lose himself, and he soon noticed the simple clothes Felicia must have left folded by his bed.

"Heya, Lord Corrin," came the spoken devil's voice from outside, revealing herself as the knocker; "are you decent?"

"Just a sec." Corrin swung his legs over the bed, reaching for the pants Felicia had also neatly placed at his bedside for his convenience. As he slid his legs into the soft clothes, he offered in addition, "Good morning, by the way."

There was a pause. Corrin didn't notice at first when Felicia didn't reply, but the silence soon became palpable. When he realized, he put getting dressed on hiatus, and said with concern, "…Felicia?"

"A-Ah, good morning, Lord Corrin!"

Frowning, Corrin resumed dressing himself. He slipped his left arm into the button-up shirt. "Was it that weird?"

"No, no, it was great! I just—you took me by surprise, is all."

"Hm." His right arm went through next. "You can come in now."

Corrin focused on buttoning his shirt as Felicia slunk into the room, quietly nudging the door shut with her foot. "I brought your laundry," the maid added, and Corrin noted the full basket in her arms. "I'll get to folding it. H-How are you, um, feeling?"

"I feel… so much better today," Corrin marveled. _I slept so well…_

Felicia smiled back while she placed the laundry basket on his desk; she took a towel in her hands. "That must be what happens when family visits~" she sang, placing the folded towel aside and reaching for another. "I'm glad your mood's gotten this much better already. The next step is taking care of yourself, you know? Go grab some breakfast, milord."

Corrin grinned, mock-saluting. "Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, that reminds me: Lady Camilla told me to tell you she's eating her breakfast in the gardens." Felicia gestured out of Corrin's bedroom door with her thumb. "So you'll wanna meet her there with your food."

"Camilla," Corrin murmured, his smile growing more content. _So we DO have free time together, thank the gods._ "Right."

Felicia stared him in the eye. Intensely: _"With your food."_

"…Right," Corrin repeated, a little more uncomfortable. "Have I been that bad about it lately?"

"You missed breakfast _yesterday._ That's why you passed out! Low blood sugar."

"Gotcha. I'll be more careful."

Felicia smiled slightly. "I'm glad." Hands occupied, she gestured out the door with her chin. "Now go, go, don't keep Her Highness waiting!"

"Right, right! Later, Felicia."

* * *

Though Corrin left his bedroom smiling, it wasn't long before a new feeling crept from the darker depths of his mind.

 _Guilt._

Why?

He knew why—or, rather, he was pretty sure he _should_ know why. At the moment, he couldn't put his finger on it. Something he shouldn't be doing. Some feeling he shouldn't be… allowing. Though he slept well last night, it felt cheap, unearned: like he'd cheated for it.

A confusing feeling. He shook his head and pushed it down, back where it came from. He'd sort out the root of it later.

* * *

 **March 9: Breakfast**

"Corrrrriiiiiin!"

The prince was already smiling wanly as Camilla left her table to rush him; she'd evidently been watching the door eagerly, waiting for Corrin to enter the sun-kissed gardens. Her arms wrapped around Corrin with the intent of pushing his face into her breasts in her usual motherly hug, but Corrin had had enough practice evading this to be able to place his chin on her shoulder instead; he achieved the much more normal kind of embrace he preferred.

"Hey, Big Sister," Corrin chuckled, patting her on the back. She seemed reluctant to let him go, but she did so regardless even without Corrin's prompting. "Gods, I'm so glad to see you. I thought I was going to be stuck here with a bunch of strangers for the next two weeks."

Camilla nodded. "Oh, I know! I could have worked with the Council directly, you know, instead of coming here. But I couldn't possibly miss this chance to spend some time with my darling baby brother."

"Not a baby," Corrin pointed out. "Anyway, I'll go grab my breakfast. Left it in the hall, since, well, I expected the hug."

Camilla giggled lightly. "Of course, of course. I'll wait for you at the table."

* * *

"…Really? The _entire_ proposal?" Camilla frowned. "That's a lot of work, dear."

"Yeah, well, it's not like I have to do all the math on my own," Corrin noted before taking a short swig of his coffee. "The finance committee's there for that. I just have to put all the information on paper and then present it." He smirked slightly over his mug; "Doesn't sound too bad when I put it that way, right?"

"I suppose." She crossed her arms uncertainly. "Truth be told, I'm not even doing all of _my_ part of the proceedings alone, and it's less work than yours. Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Yes," Corrin said in a voice that did an excellent job of masking his own doubt. "I've even portioned it out, divvied it up by day. If I do so much of it every day, then I'll have the whole thing done on time. And I've always got Felicia nearby to keep me awake."

Camilla's eyebrow lifted. "My my, it seems you've quite thought this through! I'm impressed, Corrin."

Corrin wanted to mention that it had actually been Elise's idea, but the praise tasted sweet. Eh, she probably wouldn't mind. "Thanks."

They were quiet for a bit, just enjoying their breakfast and each other's company. Bacon, eggs, and family. Sounded like a good time to Corrin.

"What's new with you?" Corrin asked. "Anything exciting since the end of the war?"

"Oho, _absolutely_ not," the princess laughed. "The capital has been dreadfully dull for the last three months, even in a time of change like this. I regret to say I find myself missing the war itself at times."

Corrin almost had a playfully scolding quip for Camilla's admission, but it faded from his tongue as he found himself less and less willing to voice it. He tried to deny the thought, refuse it from entering his mind—but he slowly found himself agreeing with her.

There was no denying the sense of togetherness the war had inspired. The camaraderie. But, in their new peaceful world that they had fought so hard for, he was alone.

Again.

They ate in silence for a while longer. The clinking of silverware and the chirping of birds in the cherry trees provided relaxing ambience for the stepsiblings. After a long moment, Camilla dabbed at her mouth with a napkin, and she placed it, folded, on her plate. Smiling kindly, she broke the silence at last: "We have a meeting to get to."

Corrin paused, setting his fork down. "…'We'?"

"I _did_ tell you my work related to yours, correct? I will be going to the meeting with the financial committee as well." She tilted her head. "Mind sitting next to me, Little Brother?"

"No, not at all," Corrin said, bemused. He picked up his food tray and stood, Camilla following suit soon after. "Let's drop these off and get to it, then."

* * *

Corrin was glad he had rested well the previous night, because had he not, the meeting would surely have lulled him to sleep. Hoshidans talking about resources, Nohrians talking about gold, and vice versa. Debating and discussing. Corrin merely had to take notes, fortunately. Mark down important points in the discussion. Anytime they'd mention a number, the cost of some resource, he'd add it to his notes to later put in his proposal. They'd have documents on the subject to share with him later as well.

 _Truly exciting times we live in,_ Corrin murmured, hiding a yawn behind his hand. Resting his cheek on his fist, he glanced aside at his sister to see if she was as bored as him. Mystifyingly, Camilla seemed to be paying rigid attention: sitting up, eyes forward, pen working. Unbelievable.

Corrin sighed and returned his attention to his notes.

* * *

Corrin's high spirits from that morning had completely dissipated by the time he, Camilla, and the two arguing finance committees flowed from the conference room.

Corrin waved his stack of notes, giving Camilla a halfhearted smile. "Now for the fun part. I get to go add all this crap to my proposal."

Camilla smiled equally wanly. "Good luck with that, dear. I have an 'exciting' paper of my own to write as well, so I suppose this is where we part ways for now."

"Maybe we can grab some breakfast tomorrow, too," Corrin offered.

Camilla nodded, cupping Corrin's cheek in her palm affectionately. "Oh, I certainly look forward to it." Her hand fell away, and she started to walk. "I'll see you then, darling."

"Later, Big Sister."

Corrin stood still for a while longer, Hoshidans and Nohrians still trickling out of the room to pass him by. Dread grew in his chest, and he had to work up some courage to return to his room and work on that godsforsaken proposal. Considering all he'd written down in the meeting, incorporating all of it into his proposal sure seemed intimidating right now.

He huffed impatiently. Well, it wouldn't get any easier if he kept putting it off. He had a quota to meet for today.

The thought of Elise's idea brought a giddy smile to his face.

 _One day at a time._

* * *

 **March 9: Afternoon**

Felicia's eyes brightened as she noticed Corrin approaching her table; past the usual lunch hour, they usually had the lunchroom more or less to themselves at this time. "Hi, Corrin! Ahem, Lord Corrin." She gestured down at her plate. "Meatloaf today!"

Corrin placed his tray on the table and slid into the seat across from his maid. "Yeah, it's great."

Felicia felt a stab from Corrin's tone: a sharp contrast from this morning's cheer. "…Bad day?"

"Normal day."

 _So a bad day,_ Felicia thought with a sigh. Corrin was stuffing his mouth now, poignantly avoiding her eye so as to avoid speaking; she knew he probably didn't want to bring her mood down as well. _Well, it was nice while it lasted._

Felicia humored him, not forcing conversation. Returning to form, they ran their usual routine of eating lunch together in silence. And when their meals were through, Felicia wished Corrin luck, and he departed for his room to continue working.

* * *

 **March 9: Evening**

Corrin felt stupid. _Really_ stupid. He tightly hugged the manuscript, the proposal, to his hip as he neared that same little hill, as if this was something resembling a good idea. Elise was already sitting under the oak tree, her legs folded to one side as she smiled down at a plucked flower in her hands. When she heard his grassy footsteps nearing, her smile widened for him. "You made it!"

Corrin smiled as well, in spite of himself. Her cheer was infectious to a fault; he was grumpy, dammit! He'd actually brought the proposal here, like she had suggested! And for what? "I'm sure you were just kidding yesterday," Corrin said, weakly gesturing with the stack of papers under his arm, "but on the off chance that you meant it, I brought the proposal."

"Ooh!" Elise's smile lowered to show her eagerness. "Yes, sweet! Lay it on me."

Corrin blinked. Slowly, he sat down across from her. "I was… sure you weren't serious. Elise, you remember when I said this is super boring, right?"

"Well yeah, but you wanted help, didn't you?"

"Sure, but—"

"Then let me!"

Corrin was taken aback. Elise's expression was surprisingly serious, and she'd fixated her gaze on Corrin. Almost an aggressive look. And now that he was paying attention, he realized how pointed her words had been: _let me._

Elise adjusted to sit on her knees. "So tell me about it, Corrin. What's the proposal for?"

Corrin relaxed into a smile. "Just _assuming_ you've convinced me?"

Elise smirked. "What, am I wrong? Go ahead, tell me no. I _dare_ you."

If Corrin had even considered the dare, he would've had to wrestle himself over it. Why go to that trouble when he could just give the "yes" he knew he'd give anyway? "Hahaha! You're so _full_ of it, Elise!"

"Because I'm right!" She booped him on the nose with her finger. "C'mon, Corrin, I've got you allllll figured out, and you _know_ it."

Corrin shook his head, now smiling widely. "Oh yeah? Well, what am I about to say?"

"You're _about—"_ she touched her gloved fingertips to the sheets in Corrin's hands—"to tell me _all about_ this little project you're working on." She winked. "How'd I do?"

"You did… just fine," Corrin murmured, and he laughed. "Well, if you insist…"

Corrin hefted the stack onto his lap, resting his palm on top. Elise crawled over on all fours to get a glimpse.

"The war between Hoshido and Nohr went on for years, and it's pretty clear that Nohr got the bum end of the deal, even if we're all 'united in friendship' and stuff now. I'm sure I don't have to explain to Nohr's princess that her country's soil isn't the best at growing food." Elise nodded with a smile, and she sat back again, indicating Corrin to continue. "So that's what I'm doing. This proposal," Corrin tapped the stack of papers, "has to do with resource allocation; since Ryoma became High King, he's been pushing for trade agreements to benefit Nohr and, well, to avert future war. I just have to present it to the Nohrian leadership and see if they agree on all of it. And, well, to be honest…" Corrin flipped through the pages. "I think this is pretty generous. They'll be pleasantly surprised, I bet."

Elise shrugged. "Well, Ryoma always struck me as a generous guy! Gotta say, I like the man. Seems like a good fit for king."

"Heh. You're not gonna hear me disagree. I think he's doing great so far."

She nudged him, a tiny smirk on her lips. "You _have_ to say that. He's your brother."

"Wh… But I mean it! I-I mean, look here." Corrin furrowed his eyebrows and leafed through the pages. "Here! Sake trade."

"Oh boy, alcohol! My favorite!"

Corrin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, _alcohol_ is your favorite. You don't even like tea!" While Elise giggled, he shook his head. "Anyway—the numbers are the important bit. Hoshido'll trade _that_ much sake," he pressed his finger into the page, "and he's only asking for…"

As the minutes dragged on—Elise doing a great job of either paying attention or _looking_ like she was paying attention—Corrin lost himself in reciting his speech. The more he spoke, the more he realized he'd have to trim this information down, or organize it more coherently at least. He didn't know if his speech would have a time limit, but he'd at least need to keep his audience's attention.

Plus, rereading his work under Elise's watchful eye, he noticed more than a few typos. None were particularly glaring, or even important, but Corrin smiled at each correction he made. Almost a palpable feeling of forward movement, of progress.

When he glanced up at Elise, he noticed she was smiling too.

 _I set the mood,_ he thought, amazed. _By being cheerful, I'm making her happy, too._

He grinned a little wider. It wasn't even a big deal. None of this was at all important. Why, then?

A part of Corrin itched, a part that knew the answer. All he knew was that that truth, whatever it was, was one he didn't want to tell her. Not yet, anyway.

He furtively gave Elise another glance. She radiated cheer, good feelings. Corrin felt…

He shook his head. He _felt_ uncomfortable. Not—not in a bad way. Just… unfamiliar.

* * *

…Ah, but this, _this_ Corrin knew all too well.

He was exhausted, he _knew_ he was. After Corrin had read a passage of his speech to Elise, he had wound down by playing a game with her, one that involved scaling and descending that hill at least four times each. He should have been sound asleep by now.

He rolled over, hugging his sheets to his breast and squeezing his eyes shut. Insomnia, back and more vile than ever. The reason for it had made itself clear again. The same thing from this morning. (Or was it yesterday morning? Corrin couldn't tell how late it was.)

He tried to let his mind wander, to stop focusing on things. Maybe that'd make him sleepier.

Elise's smile drifted into mind.

Corrin shook his head, trying to fight thoughts of her. She really wasn't helping. In fact, he was pretty sure she was part of the problem.

 _Part_ of the problem.

He knew what the rest was.


	2. Break from the Typical

**II. Break from the Typical**

 **March 10: Morning**

Felicia had a smile ready for Corrin as she entered his room. "Good morning!"

"Morning."

Her hopefulness quickly fell apart as she noticed Corrin's dour look. Back to his usual mood, it seemed. Felicia kept up appearances regardless: "How did you sleep?"

"Restlessly." Corrin paused for a moment to sigh deeply; the buttons on his shirt were proving difficult for his sleep-addled fingertips. "Guess sleeping well was nice while it lasted."

Felicia tilted her head anxiously. She wanted to say something reassuring really really badly, but nothing popped into mind. "Y-You could ask the infirmary for a narcoleptic," she offered. "Or maybe a mage could craft some hex—"

Corrin interrupted her by way of a disgruntled moan, waving her suggestions away with a hand. "I don't have that kind of time, and I doubt they'd be of help anyway. I know you're trying to help, but I really just need to get to work."

Felicia frowned as she watched Corrin return to the task of buttoning up his shirt. "…Well, at least let me help you here."

Corrin frowned as Felicia drew closer; dropping his hands to his sides, he allowed her to make up his shirt. "Thanks."

Felicia smiled brightly up at him. "Of course, Corrin! Really, it's the least I could do." _I feel so helpless about your mood._ So she focused on the buttons, leaving the bedroom in silence for a moment.

Corrin waited patiently. He was just absently watching Felicia button up his shirt at first, but after a second he realized it felt weird to… stare. So, he looked away and waited for her to finish.

Felicia's fingers pushed the top button through, and she beamed, giving it a gentle tug as a test. "All done!" She smoothed out Corrin's sleeves and patted him on the shoulder.

Corrin had to smile back. Felicia's smile, he realized, was also rather infectious. In spite of himself, he found the comparison amusing. "Thanks again, Felicia."

"You're welcome!" Felicia said, feeling proud of herself. "Have a good time at breakfast, okay?"

"Sure."

* * *

Any semblance of a good mood vanished when Jakob came rushing up to Corrin, speaking of a message from Lady Camilla.

"She found herself unexpectedly busy this morning," the butler explained. "Milady told me to inform you that she cannot make breakfast, but she also urged I mention that this should be _very_ abnormal. She promised to not miss another breakfast with, er, her dear younger brother."

Corrin's expression was unmoving. "And that's all?"

"Yes, milord. If you'd like, I'll eat breakfast with you inst—"

"You have other things to do, Jakob. Don't blow off your work on my account." Corrin turned away, already marching down the hallway. "Thanks for letting me know."

The prince's hands were clenched into fists as he walked.

* * *

Corrin skipped breakfast. He'd rather sneak in some work than eat by himself. Food tasted bland alone.

 _Typical._

* * *

When Corrin's chin slipped off of his hand, almost impacting face-first into the desk, he realized he had nearly fallen asleep. Forcing himself to sit up and pay attention to the debating group, he tried to shake his head free of exhaustion.

Corrin found his head tipping once again when the door to the conference room creaked open, shedding some natural light into the windowless room. While the rest of the room only hesitated for a moment, soon returning to discussion after briefly acknowledging Camilla's entrance, Corrin's expression soured.

The princess was already issuing whispered apologies as she took her seat next to Corrin's: "I'm so sorry I'm late, I didn't mean to miss breakfast, I had to send a progress report to Leo, that will never happen again—"

"It's fine," Corrin muttered, not looking at her. When she pressed him with further apologies, he remained silent. She eventually gave up.

* * *

 **March 10: Late Morning**

Corrin brushed past Camilla as he left the room. "Have to work." She solemnly agreed, watching him go with a contrite look in her eyes.

Back in his room, working on the proposal was especially grueling. Same old, same old. The misery he'd nearly forgotten; yesterday had made it all seem so easy, like he'd be able to preserve his good spirits somehow.

He fell asleep at some point, and Felicia had to come wake him up again, also offering a stern lecture about skipping breakfast and how he _will_ join her for lunch later.

Same old, same old.

* * *

 **March 10: Afternoon**

"You made it!"

Corrin blinked, a little surprised, as he set his tray down. Felicia and Silas sat next to each other on the opposite side of the table, both smiling at Corrin.

Silas gestured at the maid with his fork. "Felicia was worried you _actually_ weren't going to come."

"You don't usually have this time free," Corrin stated bluntly. "How'd you make it to lunch?"

"Oh, I was in the village," Silas said. "Y'know, the one about a mile down the road to the north? I was on patrol there instead of the fort, so I missed the regular lunch hour." He reached for his glass of water.

 _Exciting._ "I feel like we haven't spoken in a while."

Silas's eyebrow quirked while he was taking a sip. "You'd be right!" He put the glass back down. "We haven't even seen each other since we _got_ here. After I helped escort you here a couple weeks ago, we kinda went our separate ways."

"Oh, enough about the boring stuff," Felicia said, touching Silas's arm and giggling.

Corrin's gaze fixated on her fingertips. His breath didn't release until her hand moved away, at which time he looked away and huffed irritably. _Gods, what the hell is my problem?_

"You're right, you're right," Silas conceded, laughing. "So, Corrin! Don't tell me you've been having too good of a time without me? I mean, Felicia said you're writing a whole proposal for the king of Nohr. That's gotta be the most fun I've heard of since getting run through with a knife!"

Corrin and Felicia both laughed. "Yeah," the prince said. "Though there are times I'd prefer the knife."

"Heheh." Silas broke his biscuit apart and popped a piece into his mouth. "I'b idclined to agree wid you."

"Were you raised in a stable? Chew your godsforsaken food, Silas."

Smiling and putting his hands up defensively, Silas backed out of the conversation for the moment.

Felicia turned to Corrin. "So I heard about breakfast today."

Corrin's mood fell again. It had risen when he wasn't paying attention. "Yeah."

"I'm sure Lady Camilla's sorry," Felicia said. "You know she loves spending time with you! She'd never skip out of spite."

"Yeah." Corrin sighed. "…I was a little childish this morning. I shouldn't have brushed her off."

"If only you had a way to apologize," Felicia added, and Corrin noticed her smirk. "Oh, wait! You do!"

Corrin rolled his eyes, smiling as well.

"When you have breakfast with her tomorrow—which, obviously, you will—" Corrin caught the edge to Felicia's tone for that one jab, but her cheer returned for the rest of the sentence—"then you'll have _aaaaalll_ the time you want to open up to her." She spread her arms wide, inconveniencing Silas: "Open your heart, Corrin! Show her your feelings!"

"You're making it sound romantic," Silas noted, pushing her intrusive hand down. "Now call me crazy, but I don't think Corrin thinks of his sister that way."

"Give the psychic a prize," said Corrin.

"Stepsister," Felicia corrected. "And a tenuous relation at that! But yeah, I didn't mean it that way. Corrin, you don't have feelings for a girl, do you?"

"N—" Corrin blinked. "Wait, do you mean in general?"

The maid nodded.

Corrin looked to Silas for guidance, but he seemed just as interested, betrayed by a slight smile.

The prince was going to defuse her question with a joke; it was a left fielder, not to mention a silly question, after all. Like he even had the _time_ to…

…And at that, he found himself seriously considering the question.

Of course, the face he knew he would think of immediately popped into his mind's eye.

"…Do you?" Felicia pried again, her eyebrows furrowing.

"N-No." Corrin turned his eyes down to his food tray, leafing through the meat with his fork. "That's… _really_ not a priority right now."

"Fair enough," said Silas.

Corrin was fairly certain the conversation had moved on without him, but he lingered on the topic.

 _Should I see Elise again?_

She was the source of the guilt, he knew. Well, not _her,_ but his—how he—

He squeezed his grip on his fork, and released the train of thought with an exhale.

 _I'll go to our spot this evening, and I'll break things off. This is causing me more stress than relieving it._

 _…Right…_

* * *

 **March 10: Late Afternoon**

As Corrin's pen took practiced action against the paper, he found that his mind frequently wandered. _What'll I say?_ In his head, he found himself preparing a second speech, one for Elise.

 _Elise, we've had a lot of fun, but I… uh…_ He scratched his head with the end of his pen. _I think we should… stop… hanging out…? …Wait, what was the first half of that sentence?_

Shaking his head, Corrin pushed his manuscript aside (perhaps finally admitting he couldn't concentrate on it) and grabbed a fresh piece of paper. He immediately began chronicling his thoughts: _"I'm sure we could have a lot more fun, but…" No, that's trash._ He crumpled the paper, rolled it to the corner of his desk, and reached for a new one. _"To whom it may concern…"_

Corrin was growing eager. By his fourth piece of paper, he was nearly grinning with anticipation of his meeting with Elise that evening. He couldn't wait to give her his speech.

A part of him must have known by then that he wouldn't be able to go through with any of it.

* * *

 **March 10: Evening**

Corrin spied Elise from a distance. She was skipping around the hilltop tree, undoubtedly humming a cheerful tune while she waited for Corrin to arrive.

Shaky breath. Corrin muttered his rehearsed lines under his breath. She had his full attention as he drew ever closer: mesmerizing. Like a dream, he couldn't see anything else. _Focus. This is important._

By the time he reached the base of the hill, his legs were lead. The oak tree at the top seemed so far away.

Regardless, he plodded on. Up and up.

He found it incredibly difficult, though the curve was gentle.

"Oh, there you are! Geez, wouldja pick up the pace?"

Corrin looked up to see Elise running downhill to meet him, a grin plastered on her face. Corrin raised a hand to halfheartedly wave at her, but she had different plans for him: both of her hands seized his, and, giggling, she began to pull him along. "C'mon, slowpoke!"

Corrin couldn't say no, of course. She just… had that effect on him.

"Why didn't you bring your work, huh?" Elise asked as she led the way. She pouted; "Y'know I _want_ to help you, right? I'm not doing you a favor!"

"That's…" He sighed. "That's not what this is about."

Elise rolled her eyes with an impatient sigh of her own, but she didn't say anything else until they reached the hilltop tree.

When they did so, Elise dropped Corrin's hand, put hers on her hips, and faced him. "So something's _definitely_ bothering you. What's up?"

"Stop," Corrin blurted, taking the princess aback.

"I… What?"

"We—We need to… stop." Corrin took a breath, stunned at his own bluntness. "We can't keep seeing each other, Elise."

Elise reeled for a moment. Tears welled in the corners of her lavender eyes; Corrin had to look away. "Wh…"

Corrin flinched, waiting for Elise's reply.

"…Where did this come from?"

"H-Huh?"

Elise took a step closer earnestly. "What did I do wrong?!"

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing." Corrin shook his head. "I'm the problem, Elise."

"B-But—I—" Elise sniffed. "I've just missed you so much, Corrin…"

The prince's heart cramped. "Don't say that…"

"Wh-Why not? Because I did! I—I hate that I haven't been able to see you for so long! And now that we finally have some time together, you, you—you say we _can't?"_ She shook her head defiantly, casting tears onto the grass. "That's so mean of you, Corrin! Why would you say that?!"

"It's not like I haven't missed you, either," Corrin rejoindered. "I-It's been hard! I've been working so hard to, to keep myself busy—" He tapped his temple with a finger; "To keep my _mind_ busy! Because, when I think about you, or my siblings, or anyone, I can't stop thinking about them! It _absorbs_ me, Elise, and that's—that's why I work so hard. That's why I took this job. It's to _forget."_

"You don't _have_ to f-forget," Elise whispered. "I'm here. I want to help you."

Corrin winced. She wasn't just talking about the proposal. "You… know about my insomnia."

Elise wriggled on her toes. "…Yeah. I figure, having someone to talk to, someone to play with…" She trailed off.

Corrin shook his head. He couldn't exactly confess to her the guilty feelings keeping him up at night—at that, he may as well open his heart right then and there, and he wasn't ready for that. He didn't fully understand those feelings, himself. "It's just that there's… more than that. I can't shake the feeling that these little liaisons are part of the problem."

"Then let it go!" Elise urged. "Let me help you, Corrin. Please."

There it was again: _let me._

 _Let me in, Corrin. I only want to help._

Corrin couldn't help but cave in. She just had that effect on him, effortless.

 _Just let it go, huh?_

He closed his eyes, inhaling through his nose.

 _Just let it go…_

He exhaled deeply from his mouth. The air carried a cleansing taste.

Corrin didn't realize it, but his expression had softened pleasantly.

Elise nudged him, a smile waxing across her face. "…There we go," she murmured gently. "How do you feel?"

"So much better…" Corrin opened his eyes, watching her bemusedly. "Gods, it was so easy…! How?"

Elise put a finger to her lips, giggling. "Hee hee! Now, for my next trick, I will make a prince's dignity disappear—betcha can't beat me in a race!"

Corrin hesitated. "I…"

 _…I let it go._

He grinned. "I'll make you eat those words, you hear?"

"Put up or shut up, boy!"

* * *

 **March 11: Morning**

"Haaaaa…"

Stretching his arms over his head, grinning, Corrin sat up with a hearty yawn. His mind clear, his smile permanent, he went about his morning routine without need of Felicia's usual prompting knock.

And, as he was adjusting his pants and beginning to button up his shirt, his maid's telltale knock came. "Come in," Corrin called cheerfully.

"Good m—" Felicia began, but her voice hesitated, realizing that that wasn't what Corrin had said. "Um, a-are you decent?"

"Yes," Corrin laughed. "I said come in, didn't I?"

Slowly, the door inched open, Felicia's pink hair slowly peeping through. Seeing that Corrin was indeed fully dressed and waiting for her, she pushed through. A smile on Corrin's face made her expression respond in kind. "You're already up! Good morning, Corrin."

The prince's smile grew wider. "Good morning!" He stood from his bed. "I slept really well last night, Felicia. I'm in a… hah. I'm in a really great mood."

Felicia felt a gleeful shiver run down her spine. "Oh, that's _wonderful!_ I-I'm so happy for you!" She ran forward, arms outstretched, and pulled him into a tight hug.

Corrin furrowed his brow—it seemed like a trivial thing for her to react so strongly to, right?—but he still smiled and reciprocated. Felicia was giggling very quietly, seeming almost overcome with joy, as she linked her icy hands behind him.

Corrin stroked her back, already thinking ahead. "Plan for today:" he began quietly, and Felicia tilted her head to listen. "Speak to Camilla, and eat breakfast."

"Mm-hm."

"Work on the proposal."

"Uh-huh."

"Lunch?"

"Eheheh. Obviously, Corrin."

Corrin smiled. "Great."

Felicia noticed him trying to pull away, so, pushing down a pang of disappointment, she backed off as well. Corrin was still smiling, so she was too. "I'm so glad you're feeling better. What changed?"

Corrin shook his head, confused. "What do you mean?"

Felicia gestured vaguely at his bed. "What has you suddenly sleeping better? Yesterday was a bad day. I thought you'd be _totally_ out of it."

"Well…"

The answer was simple, he figured: _I let Elise help me._ That was all there was to it. But, he realized, what 'help' meant wouldn't be as obvious to anyone else as it was to him.

In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he became certain that Felicia would entirely misconstrue the situation should he explain it to her. She'd had that whole 'do you like anyone' thing at lunch yesterday, after all.

"I exercised before I went to sleep," Corrin offered with a shrug. "Must've worn myself out. Worked, didn't it?"

"You exercised? Really? I didn't see you when I passed by the training grounds."

"No, it was outside the fort."

She frowned. "You really shouldn't be leaving the fort unarmed, milord."

"Felicia, I can literally turn into a dragon at will."

Her eyes turned to the door, undoubtedly towards the armory several rooms over. "You should still at least take the Yato with you…"

Corrin tensed. "I haven't touched that sword since the war. I'm fine without it."

"If… you say so." She faced him again, and immediately she noticed his sleeve was partially rolled up. She moved closer to fix it. "So, what did you exercise?"

 _"Hee, hee! Almost caught me!"_

"Cardio," Corrin answered.

"Mm!" Felicia's head bobbed affirmatively, and she moved to fix his other sleeve as well. "Here I thought you'd had a fling with some girl."

"What?" Corrin laughed reflexively. He hoped it didn't sound too defensive. "That's ridiculous, Felicia. I told you yesterday, I'm not looking for that."

Oh, boy. He'd really dug himself a hole with that one. Now, if he _did_ tell her about Elise, she would immediately jump to conclusions. He could hear her inquisition now: "Why lie about seeing her if you don't like her like that?" He could always jump to the easy defense, "she's my stepsister," but the words were hollow just to think. He didn't think of her in the same way he thought of Camilla, there was no denying that. He and Elise hadn't been family in a very long time, if ever.

Now, in this new hole he had dug for himself, he would be forced to keep their meetings a secret. To keep Elise a secret.

 _She's a secret. She's… MY secret._ The words excited Corrin. _Elise is my secret…_

"I'm just teasing," Felicia giggled, smoothing out his sleeve and tugging his shirt to center the buttons; her words awoke Corrin. "I'm just glad you're feeling better, Corrin. It doesn't really matter why."

"Thanks, Felicia. Me too."

"Don't miss breakfast, okay?"

"Wouldn't for the world."

* * *

Corrin was halfway there when Felicia's words sunk in. _"It doesn't really matter why."_

 _Guess she didn't totally buy it, but she didn't pry. Felicia's not the type to._

Shrugging it off—realizing it wasn't that important—Corrin let it go, and he kept walking.

* * *

 **March 11: Breakfast**

Camilla hadn't noticed him yet as he peeked through the cracked-open door. She sat alone at the same table in the gardens, twisting her fork between her fingers.

Corrin noticed that she seemed a little antsy. A pang of guilt struck him; _it's my fault she's like this._

Knocking on the door as he pushed it fully open, Corrin gave a pallid smile and entered. Her head snapped to him, and she stood.

"Room for one more?" he offered wanly.

Camilla was too contrite to play along. "I'm so sorry about yesterday," she began, and she seemed to have more to say—knowing Camilla, she probably had a full penitent speech planned for her darling brother—but Corrin waved away her concerns.

"I should apologize. I overreacted yesterday. Honestly, Camilla, if I were anyone else, you wouldn't have put up with my nonsense."

She shrugged, as if to say, "Yeah, so?"

Corrin chuckled. "So, _I'm_ sorry. I was having a bad morning and I took it out on you."

Camilla smiled. "Oh, sweetie. Put your tray down so I can give you a hug."

The prince laughed.

It wasn't long before the royals were situated at the table, casually sharing a meal. "Sausage and waffles today," Corrin noted.

"Mm-hm. Nothing fancy here, unfortunately, but this isn't Castle Krakenburg."

"Not far from how the Northern Fortress was."

"Hm. You think so?"

The prince shrugged. "I guess most of Nohr is like this. At least, civilized Nohr. I don't want to think about the more impoverished areas." He sighed. "Though I _have_ to for work."

"Mm!" Camilla half-smiled through her full mouth, and she took a moment to swallow. "But that's why you're here, is it not? To change things."

"Guess so," Corrin conceded. "With Ryoma's influence, these trade agreements should help all of Nohr."

Camilla's expression flickered, but was quickly back to the warm smile Corrin was accustomed to. "Of course, honey. Hoshido's abundance could end the shortages infamous to Nohr."

"No bias or anything," Corrin chuckled, raising his mug of tea.

Camilla raised hers as well, clinking it with her brother's. "No bias, of course. I'm certain Hoshido has things it wishes to gut from Nohr in return."

They shared a chuckle at Camilla's half-joke before sipping their tea.

Camilla slipped her mug back onto the table, still smiling. "Ah, this takes me back. Do you remember your first cup of tea, Corrin?"

"Sure do." Corrin already had a grin on his face. "My retainers didn't want me to get attached to caffeine at such a young age, so you snuck it to my quarters and we had a secret little teatime."

Camilla smirked mischievously. "Oh, and you _hated_ the taste. 'So bitter.' But you forced it down anyway to seem grown-up."

She reached over to ruffle his hair, and Corrin stopped her hand habitually. "Yup. Forced it all down. You'd bring it again and again, and I'd drink all of it every time. Eventually I got an…" He swirled the liquid around the cup, staring into the steaming drink. "…Appreciation for it."

Camilla laughed lightly.

"I've been trying the same thing with strong alcohol," Corrin added, and Camilla laughed harder. "So far, no luck."

"Hahaha… heh." Camilla wiped a tear from her eye. "Gods, Corrin, I've missed you so much."

Corrin's smile softened. "I've missed you too, Camilla. Things… haven't been the same." Realizing he was leading the conversation down a dreary path, he elected to return to the previous subject. "I remember Elise would chastise you for serving me tea, too. Heh—she said once, "If he hates it _half_ as much as I do, then you're torturing him!" Heheh."

"Mm. Yes, I recall."

Corrin frowned at her expression—as if a bad taste had entered her mouth. _Maybe she doesn't like the tea either,_ he mused, though he dismissed the joke for genuine curiosity a moment later. Not a blatant enough look on her face, however, to bring attention to.

"She _did_ really hate tea as a child, didn't she?" Camilla pondered. "Unlike you, she didn't even _try_ to drink it. Always insisted on drinking _milk_ at tea parties. Milk!"

"Ohhh, Elise's tea parties," Corrin chuckled. "Whenever you four would visit me in the Fortress every other month, she'd insist we have one." He furrowed his eyebrows. "…Wait, she would always make me drink milk while everyone else had tea! I always assumed it was to pacify my retainers… Ha! So _that's_ why!"

"How considerate of her."

Corrin noticed a miniscule shift in Camilla's expression once again. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, but, again, he didn't pry.

"…Yeah, well, we're both learning something new today," Corrin continued, his grin returning. "Now don't tell anyone I said this, but Elise and I would sneak off to have a special, _secret_ teatime with just the two of us… though, obviously without the tea. Eh? How's that?"

"Ah…" Camilla smiled wanly. "I'm sorry, Corrin. Everyone knew about that."

Corrin's face fell. "Oh, gods dammit! I thought I had _one_ secret over everyone!"

"Sorry, sweetie." Camilla's eyes glazed with nostalgia, and she stared down at her cup of tea; she'd centered it on her empty plate. "…Goodness, yes, I remember. Xander and I once stood at your door and just listened to the two of you prattle on. It was so inane, such childlike discussion, but we were both enraptured." She shook her head. "Haha… yes, I remember those nights. She would fall asleep at the foot of your bed, so I would sneak in after the two of you fell asleep and I would carry her off to her own room." Her eyes focused on Corrin. "Oh, Xander and I would stay up late talking about you two. We were both sure that the two of you would end up—"

Camilla hesitated, and her smile flickered. Corrin's own expression faded.

"…What's wrong?"

Camilla shook her head quickly, reaching for her tray. "N-Nothing, I just… almost said something inappropriate." She flashed a smile at her brother and stood from the table. "Come along, dear. Work beckons."

Corrin rolled his eyes with a groan. "Ugh. Yeah, yeah. Shouldn't be late."

"Naturally. Come along, sweetie."

Carrying his tray and teacup, Corrin followed a pace behind Camilla, watching her curiously.

* * *

 **March 11: Evening**

"Are you and Camilla fighting?"

Elise blinked, taken aback by Corrin's bluntness. She pried her eyes off of the flower between her fingers to stare at him. "Huh?"

"Camilla was weird at breakfast this morning, and it was only after we started talking about you that she got a little reserved," Corrin explained.

"Y-You guys were talking about me?" Elise brushed one of her pigtails over her shoulder. "Was it about how pretty I am?"

Corrin snapped his fingers. "Focus, Elise."

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Elise scratched her head. "Hmm… No, I can't think of any reason she'd be mad at me. Wait! I _did_ kinda sneak into the wagon. I, uh, didn't warn anyone I was leaving." She frowned determinedly. "Hmm, but I don't think that'd really make Camilla mad."

Corrin sighed. "Thanks anyway."

Elise seemed to notice Corrin deflating, so she hurriedly added, "I-I'll talk to her, okay? How's that sound?"

"Would you? That'd be great, Elise, thanks."

"Course!" She patted the spot next to her, and Corrin moved slightly closer.

For a moment, he enjoyed the breeze and watched the fort in the distance. It was so quiet from this far away. So still.

Corrin wiggled his toes; he had some grass on his feet he'd have to rinse off later. Well, it was worth it for the feeling of it between his toes.

"What were we talking about before you threw that Camilla thing out of the blue?" Elise tapped her chin thoughtfully.

Corrin pondered for a moment as well, but he soon snapped his fingers with clarity: "Retainers."

Elise brightened. "Right!" She patted his knee. "Tell me about your retainers! What are they up to lately?"

Corrin crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Hmm… Well, Kaze is working with his brother at the moment. If I remember right, I think they're in Mokushu. Shura's running for office and has big plans with what to do with the country, which Hoshido needs to have a hand in; they're neighbors, after all. You didn't hear this from me, but I'm willing to bet Shura's just going to rename the place "Kohga" and call it a day if he gets elected." After a short chuckle, the prince tilted his head, mind wandering. "Let's see… Silas works guard duty for me, I had lunch with him yesterday… Jakob is here, he's basically running the fort, keeping the staff on track and competent… And Felicia is here too. She works for me on a daily basis… As for the oth—"

Elise clapped her hands together. "Oh, Felicia! I always liked her a lot. How are you two?"

Corrin frowned. "We're… good?"

Elise paused, calculating her reply. His confusion seemed to have thrown her. "…Good!"

"…Good?" Corrin furrowed his eyebrows. "Anyway… what about you? How are Effie and Arthur?"

"Busy," Elise said with a nod. "I told you I left without warning? Well, that means I didn't warn Effie and Arthur either. I _did_ leave 'em a note, though." She waved it away, grinning. "Oh, they'll be fine without me!"

Corrin chuckled. "Should I be expecting the two of them to bust the doors down looking for you?"

"Nope! Hee hee." Elise winked. "I planned for that, though. I'll tell them _you_ kidnapped me, and then they'll beat you up!"

"You little…" Corrin hissed through grinning teeth, before changing the subject. "Oh, speaking of Felicia. I slept really well this morning, but when she asked why, it felt weird to tell her the truth."

"That we played together? What's weird about that?"

"That I didn't tell her I was going to play with you, I guess," Corrin said. "It would've looked like a secret tryst."

"So _your_ solution to that," Elise began dryly, "was to _actually_ make it a secret? Oh boy, nothin' tryst-y about that."

Corrin cringed. "S-Sorry. I'll tell her the truth about our meetings in the morning."

"Now don't be so hasty," the princess lectured. "You might've been dumb about it, but that doesn't make it not _awesome."_

Corrin didn't know what to say to that.

"What I'm saying is…" Elise's lavender eyes were aglow, staring into space. "Oh, man, a _secret!_ Have you really not told anyone?"

"No, I haven't. You?"

"Nope, it's never come up. So that means…" She touched his shoulder excitedly. "You and I have a secret from everyone!" She gasped. "This is just like those not-tea parties we used to have as kids!"

"Ah, Elise… I'm sorry, but it seems everyone knew about those from the beginning."

"Whaaat?! Aw, you've gotta be kidding me!"


	3. On the Mind

**III. On the Mind**

 **March 12: Morning**

"Haaaaa—hrk!"

Corrin's waking yawn was interrupted by a trio of scraping coughs. "Ghaa." He grimaced, massaging his esophagus as he sat up in bed.

Hastily, knock knock knock: "Corrin, are you alright?"

"Ye—" Corrin coughed again to clear his throat, to no avail. "Yeah, come in."

Felicia wore her concern plainly as she hurried inside. "What's wrong, Corrin? Are you sick? Do you need a healer?"

Corrin waved it away, trying to give her a reassuring smile. He gave clearing his throat another try, this time with more success. "I think I'm fine," he said. "Throat's a little sore, but I'm fine."

Felicia put her hands on her hips, adopting a scolding look. "It's easy to _say_ that. Hold still…"

Corrin obeyed as Felicia came closer. She smoothed out the skirt of her uniform and sat on the bed next to him, putting a hand on his forehead. He winced at the frigid tingle of the back of her hand.

She furrowed her eyebrows intently, gauging his temperature. Corrin watched her blankly; _She's really close._ From here, her eyes were very big and blue. The way she was so focused was actually pretty cu—

—Normal. It was normal. When she put down her hand, still frowning, and stood from his bed, Corrin released an irritated breath at himself.

"You don't have a fever," said Felicia cautiously, "so I'm not gonna hold you here or anything… but let me know if it gets worse, will you?"

"C'mon, Felicia. Like I would keep something like that to myself." Corrin winked.

The maid was unamused.

* * *

 **March 12: Breakfast**

Corrin and Camilla's utensils clanked against their plates as they ate, supplying the gardens with ambient noise. Idle chitchat had passed between the two, but Corrin's mind continually wandered to his work, and he guessed Camilla was probably the same way.

Corrin gestured vaguely with his fork. "I think the Nohrian advisors' numbers were off about the amount of rice to deliver to the Macarath area. There's no way that—"

"Mm." Mouth full, Camilla silenced Corrin with a violent wave of her fork while she swallowed her food. Smiling wanly once her mouth was free, she said, "Could we please _not_ talk about that for a bit? I just want to not think about work even if it's only for a minute, haha."

Corrin smiled. "Gods. You're speaking my language, Big Sister."

Camilla laughed gently. "Let's just talk about the weather, or the food, or _anything_."

Corrin had something: he nearly asked, "So did Elise speak to you?" But he bit his tongue, realizing he shouldn't even know that Elise had planned to do so. He'd have to explain why he asked that of Elise, and Camilla likely wouldn't appreciate the reason.

But… she _seemed_ fine, so.

"It's been really nice out lately," Corrin noted. "The weather's _great_ in the evenings."

* * *

 **March 12: Afternoon**

"…And it turns out I was right," Corrin resumed. Gesturing with a forkful of rice covering a meatball, he said, "The numbers were off about rice imports by a factor of _ten._ It was probably an honest mistake, someone jotted down an extra zero or something, but things got pretty heated in there for a few minutes." He then popped the meatball into his mouth.

"Aha, you helped!" Felicia interjected brightly. "You caught a mistake they didn't!"

Corrin shrugged mock-arrogantly. "Yeah, I'm pretty great, I know. I outwitted a team of Hoshidan and Nohrian professionals, no big deal."

Felicia snickered loudly. Corrin joined in as well.

"Yo, we're laughing!" A familiar cavalier slid into the seat next to the maid's, drawing the smiling gaze of Corrin and Felicia. "What's up?"

"Hey, Silas," Corrin greeted cheerfully. "At work, I noticed a mistake that no one else did."

"Ah," said Silas. "I see now why you guys were laughing! Lord Corrin actually takes the time to pay attention, and he immediately shows everyone up."

Felicia laughed at that, putting her hand on Silas's forearm. _Again with the arm-touching,_ Corrin thought, his gaze sharpening. But he had to admit that the joke was funny.

"Heheh. That's, that's enough of that," Corrin said weakly, looking away from Felicia's hand. "It was nothing."

"Hey, the little things matter," Silas said with a shrug. "You can be proud if you want."

"Maybe I'll look for something bigger to be proud of, but thanks, Silas."

Felicia's hand casually slid away from the cavalier, which did not escape the prince.

* * *

 **March 12: Evening**

"Hwahhh." Corrin flopped down into the tree-shaded grass. "Sorry, Elise, but I'm _beat._ You win."

Elise still seemed pumped up, her hands clenched into fists as she hopped from foot to foot. "Oh, c'mon, lazy! The sun hasn't even set yet and you're already all tuckered out?"

"That's not fair, I'm sick," Corrin lied. He sat up, hugging his knees; "I get a pass from hide-and-seek because of my sore throat, don't I?"

"You are _such_ a faker!" Elise grinned mischievously and hurried over, grabbing one of Corrin's hands. "C'moooon!"

"Nope, nope." Smirking, Corrin easily resisted her halfhearted attempts to make him stand. "You'll have to try harder than that."

Elise paused, determining her next move. "…Well, if you won't come to _me,_ then—!" She leapt onto Corrin, crying out, _"Tickle fight!"_

"Tickle f—?" Corrin began, but he was cut off by her sudden attack. Immediately she floored him with a tickling assault. "Wah—St-Stop it!"

He was laughing—not just at the tickling, but at her brazen immaturity—so hard he couldn't breathe. "Hh—E-Elise, haha, stop!" Corrin finally succeeded at taking hold of her wrists, staying her violent hands. Looking up at her straddling him, she was giggling like mad. Corrin couldn't help laughing as well, and she pressed her head into his shoulder as if to restrain herself. Corrin hugged Elise as the two of them calmed down.

Elise's breath was warm on his neck. Her hair smelled like—roses. The kind that used to grow in the Northern Fortress's garden. Looking up into the oak tree's leaves, watching the orange sunlight filter through, the thought struck Corrin that this—moment, it was actually perfect.

"Um…"

Corrin shifted slightly to listen. "Yes, Elise?"

"Are you…"

Corrin frowned, as Elise had trailed off seemingly without the intention of finishing her sentence. "…Sorry, is this uncomfortable for you?"

Elise didn't answer for a long moment. "I-I meant, are we… about to, uh…"

Corrin wasn't sure where she was going with that, but she _definitely_ seemed uncomfortable. "Let's…" he murmured, gently nudging her to get off.

The princess hesitated. "I… O-Okay." Slowly, with clear reluctance, she disentangled herself from the embrace and crawled off of Corrin. She backed off to sit with her hands on her lap, looking at the grass, while Corrin sat up.

Elise was avoiding Corrin's eye. She—she just wished, that, that Corrin would just give in to his heart.

Granted, she understood perfectly well why Corrin had pushed her away just then.

She brushed her hair behind her ear and made a big smile for Corrin. "S-So, uh. How was your day, Corrin?"

"It was pretty good, actually."

Her smile turned smug. "Heard from Silas that you had a little _mo_ _~ment_."

"Wha? Gods, I was joking when I was acting all cocky!" Corrin shook his head, sighing. "Silas is making such a big thing out of it."

"Hey!" Elise insisted seriously. "It _is_ a big deal, Corrin! Didn't Silas say "the little things matter"? You remember what I'm here for, don't you?"

"To tease me?"

Elise grinned, shrugging. "That too, yeah. But I'm here to help you enjoy yourself, Corrin. I'm not busy, so it's up to me to make sure that when you have free time, you make the most of it."

Corrin frowned.

"Corrin, I'm not gonna lie, your job _suuuucks,"_ Elise drawled. "You need to make the most of the good times you have. Have _fun,_ Corrin, or at least as much as you can." She winked, poking her chest with her thumb; "And that's what I do best! _I help Corrin have fun._ It isn't that hard, I don't think."

 _Though—it would be harder if she didn't have an ulterior motive._

"Thanks," Corrin said, weakly smiling. "I guess I really did have a good day, then."

"Yes!" Elise rubbed her hands together mischievously. "My evil plan is working!"

"Hahaha." Corrin shifted gears: "Oh right, forgot to ask: did you ever talk to Camilla?"

Elise winced, and immediately her smile faltered. "…Oh, um… yeah."

"So what was the matter?"

"Don't," Elise suddenly insisted.

Corrin missed a beat. "What?"

"Don't… pry about that, okay?" Elise murmured. "That's between me and Camilla."

An ominous chill raced down Corrin's spine. "Elise…" _…keeping a secret?_ "Are you guys okay?"

"Yes. We'll be fine, but… please drop it, okay?" Her eyes shifted. "It's… personal."

Corrin shivered from her tone. "…Okay. As long as…"

He trailed off, leading into a heavy silence.

…It didn't last too long, however. After all, having had a few moments of downtime, Elise was able to talk Corrin into a few more rounds of hide-and-seek. Soon they were back to the high spirits Corrin could never evade for long in the princess's company.

* * *

 **March 13: Breakfast**

"Mm. Camilla?"

Camilla was in the middle of carefully bisecting her scrambled eggs with her fork and knife. "…Yes, dear?"

"How are your retainers doing?" Corrin asked. He bit into his sausage biscuit, careful to keep the bread from getting lodged in his fangs. "Havem't heard amythimg aboud dhem."

"Ah." Camilla set her utensils aside, frowning thoughtfully. "Beruka is in the capital, patiently awaiting my return. I tasked her with my usual duties around the castle while I'm away." She tilted her head. "As for Selena… well, she left my service. Left Nohr altogether, from what I understand."

"Is that so?"

"She told me she had to return home." Camilla sighed. "Oh, I do hope she is faring well wherever she is…"

Corrin chewed absentmindedly. Soon, Camilla picked up her fork and knife and resumed.

"I'm glad you aren't lonely back home," the prince noted. "Everyone seems so busy."

Camilla chuckled. "Likewise, Corrin. I must be honest: it seems like the war provided you with a surfeit of allies."

A thought occurred to Corrin: "I suppose the same goes for you, right?"

Camilla tilted her head, inquisitive.

Corrin smirked. "I guess I wasn't clear, but I'm referring to _suitors_. How about it, Camilla? How's your love life going?"

The princess laughed heartily. "My _love life?_ Goodness, Corrin, I haven't given it any thought. To be frank, I don't care much for it either." Her eye that was not masked by violet hair narrowed smugly: "Why, is this a love confession?"

Corrin was taken aback enough to laugh, and Camilla soon followed suit.

"Hahaha. Of course, I'm only joking, but now you have me curious." Leaning over the table, cupping her chin in her palm and eyeing Corrin thoughtfully, Camilla asked, "Do _you_ have any news on that front, Corrin?"

His smile wavering, Corrin swallowed heavily. "Eh… No."

"No?" lilted Camilla with an ever-greater smirk. "Ohoho. You're lying to me."

"What? N-No I'm not."

"Yes you are, I'm certain of it. In fact, I know it's true." Her eye bore a wicked glint. "You've been spending quite some time with someone special to you. Anything to share with your big sister?"

"No," Corrin insisted uncomfortably. "Nothing." Fidgeting, he found himself eager to escape the situation. "We need to get to work."

Camilla's grin lost its edge. "…Ah. Yes, I suppose so." They'd be quite early if they left now, she knew, but her inquisition seemed to have made Corrin much more uncomfortable than she'd expected. "Here; let me take your tray…"

* * *

Corrin shot furtive glances his sister's way throughout the long meeting. She was attentive as usual, eyes darting between her notebook to write and the debaters to listen, allowing no distractions.

Quite unlike the dragon prince. He couldn't help but fret: _She seemed so certain when she was asking me that. What does Camilla know?_

Clenching his teeth into a frustrated grimace, he tried to force himself to pay attention. His knuckles were white as he gripped the pen, but soon, as the annoyances began to fade away into the monotony of scribing, he breathed easy and his grip unknowingly relaxed.

He didn't entertain the thought directly, but the words teased the fringe of his consciousness:

 _Would it be so bad if she_ did _know?_

To his credit, he stayed focused for the meeting, and the rest of the morning after. The work needed to be done.

* * *

 **March 13: Afternoon**

The first thing Corrin noticed as he carried his tray through the mess hall was that, at the usual table where he shared lunch with Felicia and occasionally Silas, both already had eyes on him and were patiently waiting for him to arrive. More curious was the smirk plastered on both of their faces.

"Sooooo," Felicia sang before Corrin could ask. She and Silas exchanged a smug glance while Corrin sat down. "What's up, Lord Corrin?"

"Yeah, any news?" Silas egged.

Corrin carefully weighed his options. It was clear they intended to tease him about something, so now was the time for preemptive damage control. Minimize the ridicule without seeming like a fun-killer. "…The project is moving along," he said evasively. "At this pace, I'll be done _before_ the deadline."

"That's really great," said Silas; his voice hadn't lost the mischievous tone yet. "That means you'll have plenty of free time in the evenings, huh?" At that, Felicia hit him on the arm scoldingly, but she was still grinning.

Chills ran down Corrin's spine in waves. "E…Excuse me?"

Silas laid out his hands on the table. "So! Lord Corrin, I heard from an acquaintance of mine that, while he was returning from his late patrol, _you_ were seen sneaking into the castle deep into the night, a giddy little smile written from ear to ear and the most— _curious—_ blush lighting your cheeks." Silas leaned closer. "In light of that, do you have any _other_ news to share?"

Corrin was frozen, caught in their trap. _Was this what Camilla was talking about?_ His thoughts sluggishly churned in vain search of an excuse. He could lie that he wasn't out that late. He could continue his story that he was just exercising at that hour, which wasn't entirely a lie. Above all, he _needed_ to perpetuate his story: he was _not_ out fraternizing with Princess Elise of Nohr.

With Elise…

The prince's mind hadn't yet adjusted to the fact that he had already given himself away. A giddy little smile, identical to the one Silas's acquaintance had described, was slowly playing itself across his face as he absentmindedly pondered the cavalier's assertion. A traitorous little grin that proved them right.

Felicia's voice stirred consciousness in the prince's bones. "You totally do," she giggled. "Lord Corrin, savior of the world, has a little crush!"

"Wha, I, I don't…" Corrin began, but even fighting the smile back was impossible, much less selling the lie. Felicia and Silas both watched amusedly as Corrin gave in at last. "…Okay. Yes, I… I might have a little _crush,_ but it's not something I'm going to act on!"

"Who is it?" Felicia urged excitedly, leaning closer and putting her hands on Corrin's. "Tell me! Oh, this is so great!"

Corrin couldn't help but feel a little eager himself from receiving all this attention, but he had to think rationally. It wasn't his place to reveal his and Elise's secret. He'd already given away more information than he would have liked, so he needed to think fast if he wanted to pacify his retainers' lust for gossip.

"She's… from the village," Corrin began evasively. "That's all I can say. Happy?"

Silas and Felicia _weren't_ happy, both talking over each other to express their need for more details, but Corrin put up a silencing hand: "Enough, guys. That's all I want to say about it."

They both fell quiet, disappointed.

"…Okay," Felicia murmured dejectedly. "I'm just glad to know you're having fun."

Corrin shrugged. "Yeah… I _have_ been sleeping better thanks to her." Noticing their smirks returning, Corrin quickly tried to correct himself: "B-Because I exercise with her, so we wear ourselves out, and—" He began to blush, realizing he was making things worse.

Fortunately, Felicia came to his rescue. "Wait, SHE'S the reason you've been sleeping better?"

Corrin let out a sigh, trying to ease his flustered expression. "…Yes. Really, I… owe her a lot."

Felicia sat back. A pleased smile—not a smirk, at last—grew sweetly on her lips. "I think I'd really like to meet this girl."

"Yeah, me too," Silas added genuinely.

"Heh." Finally taking his fork and knife in hand, Corrin began slicing himself a fraction of his steak. Enjoying the moment too fully, he couldn't help but add under his breath: "I think you'd be surprised."

Their smiles waned slightly, and they exchanged a confused glance, but eventually they went for their meals anyway.

* * *

 **March 13: Evening**

"Conversation kinda drifted away after that," Corrin relayed, shrugging. "I didn't tell them anything sensitive, though."

Elise was biting her knuckle, lost in thought—thoughts about what Corrin had just said, Corrin hoped. He expected a non sequitur as much as he did an on-topic response. Fortunately, it seemed she had been paying attention.

"I… don't think I'm following," Elise murmured slowly. "I thought…?"

Corrin shook his head. "What?"

"Aren't… uh…" She scratched her head, likely trying to think of a good way to put her thoughts in words. "Aren't you and Felicia a thing?"

"Wh-What? No!" Icy tingles raced through Corrin. "What the… What made you think that?"

Elise furrowed her eyebrows. "That's a silly question, don't you think? You like her, don't you?"

Corrin threw his hands up. "What is _with_ everybody today?! Is today some sort of romantic holiday I didn't know about, because why the hell else would this be on everyone's mind!"

"I think you just aren't as good at hiding your feelings as you think you are." Elise winked at him. "You're kind of an open book, Corrin."

"Gods." Corrin leaned back against the thick trunk of the oak, crossing his arms and looking away. Hesitating for a moment, he muttered, "I was wrong, _this_ must've been what Camilla was talking about… Felicia. You and she are always on the same wavelength."

"But seriously, Corrin! You like Felicia, don't you? And she definitely likes _you."_

Corrin scoffed. "Yeah, right. She probably has a thing for Silas." He shook his head quickly—"N-Not that that's a bad thing! Silas is great, and they get along well. They'd be good together."

Elise sighed deeply. "…You're so easy to read, Corrin. Like, it doesn't even take effort."

Corrin tensed with anger. "Enough, Elise! Even if I did think of her that way—which I _don't—_ I don't have the time to be thinking about that sort of thing! Juggling all of my responsibilities _and_ worrying about romance? I'm not ready for that, and she wouldn't be either!"

"You aren't going to be busy forever."

"I know that!" Corrin shook his head heatedly. "But it doesn't matter anyway! How could I ever be in love with her if I'm still in lo—"

He bit his tongue.

Cold silence hung in the air for a long time. Corrin hugged his knees to his chest, refusing to meet Elise's eye. He knew that, even though he'd cut his confession short, she would know what he had almost said. He just wondered how Elise would react. He wasn't lying when he said he wasn't ready.

"So, um…"

Elise's voice made Corrin flinch.

"…Have you ever had the steak here?"

Corrin hesitated. His eyes scanned Elise's expression, searching for signs of jest, but all he found was a hint of sadness buried under her usual bright smile.

"Y…Yeah, had it for lunch," he murmured.

"Me too, but, see, I thought it was kinda stiff," Elise mused. "Prolly undercooked it, y'think?"

A smile traced its way across Corrin's expression. "…Yeah, that sounds about right. But I think they got the mashed potatoes right. What'd you think of…?"

* * *

 **March 14: Morning**

Corrin masked a cough; Felicia may have been on the other side of the door, but she'd hear if he didn't muffle it, and he really didn't need her cosseting right now. Standing from his bed, he called, "C-Come in."

Felicia nudged her way through, carrying a basket of unfolded laundry. "Morning, Corrin!"

"Mor—" Aaand the stealth had all been for nothing, as trying to reply elicited a reflexive coughing fit he couldn't have attempted to hide. All he could do was play it off, so even as Felicia was rushing over to check his temperature again, he said nonchalantly, "G, good morning. How'd you sleep?"

"I slept fine," she murmured absently, placing her palm against the prince's forehead; he winced at the chill. "No fever, but… are you feeling alright?"

Corrin squirmed under her touch. Again, she was far too close, and he had to force himself to look away. He'd been mildly uncomfortable in the past, but now, remembering what Camilla and Elise had both divulged yesterday, he was painfully aware of why they'd gotten that impression. He gently pushed her away, offering a reassuring smile. "I feel fine, don't worry. You don't need to worry about me."

Felicia pouted. "It's my _job_ to worry about you."

Corrin tried to casually brush it off. "It's pretty much spring, you know. The equinox is in a week. It's probably just allergies."

"I've never heard of a dragon getting sick…"

"You've cared for me for years, Felicia. I'm sure you can remember a time." He turned to approach his mirror; he eyed his shirt, adjusting and fixing the buttons. "…Listen. Can I ask you something?"

Felicia paused, a little smirk growing. "…No, Corrin, I _refuse_ your question!"

Corrin laughed. "Yeah, sorry, stupid thing to say." He glanced at her via the mirror; she was hovering awkwardly next to the bedside table, apparently torn between handling Corrin and handling the laundry she'd placed there. "Felicia… I, uh, have a rhetorical question, kinda." His scarlet eyes flicked back to his shirt; he didn't really have a reason to, just wanting something to do with his hands.

"Well, go ahead, milord."

"This isn't a 'milord' situation."

"Um… then, go ahead, Corrin."

Corrin took a deep breath. "Felicia, I don't have the free time I need to pursue… romance. _Serious_ romance. I don't know what my schedule is going to be like after I finish the proposal for the Nohrian Advisory Board, but for all I know, I could be just as busy _forever."_ He glanced at her reflection. "So—I think—uh, I think I shouldn't deal with… that stuff. Not now, maybe not ever."

Felicia didn't reply for a moment, letting it sink in. "…It's not like you, um, have to be in _loooove_ with the village girl," she began. "As long as you're having f-fun, then… um…"

Corrin winced. He supposed he had no reason to believe Felicia would think he was talking about anyone besides his fictional crush, but it worked just fine.

Felicia laughed weakly. "I mean, I didn't think this girl was, was _'the one'_ for you or anything. I'm really just glad you can enjoy the little things. You've been so down lately."

Corrin felt the words sting. Still, he didn't respond.

"A-And it's not like you have to report any of this to me." Felicia's voice was much quieter. "Honestly, I kinda feel bad about asking you so many questions yesterday… Your love life, it's, it's _your_ business. Don't worry about keeping your _maid_ in the loop."

Ah, her words were so painful. Guilt gripped Corrin's heart.

"Now, um, be sure not to miss breakfast with your older sister." Felicia gestured at the door. "I'll be folding laundry in here if you need me…"

* * *

 **March 14: Breakfast**

His meal with Camilla was uneventful. Corrin coughed once, but he played it off as food going down the wrong pipe. Camilla could be even worse about coddling than Felicia, he knew.

* * *

Likewise, the meeting was mundane. Discussions continued to move at a glacial pace; this was the sixth day now, and

 _Cough, cough_

and still nearly a week of debate remained. Today and yesterday had _both_ been spent on compliance with Nestrian regulations, which should barely have been an issue considering

 _Cough, cough._ He got a few glances that time, and Camilla briefly rubbed his back without prying, but conversations went uninterrupted:

—considering that Nestra was a neutral state. Corrin figured they would say "okeydokey, we've got some Nestrian trade regs to worry about but we're all professionals so they're taken care of already." Instead: excessive amounts of meandering repartee between two sides that seemed to hunt for details to loudly disagree about.

All in all, his pen wasn't getting much of a workout this morning (though Camilla's was, curiously), but—

 _Cough, cough, cough_

 _Cough, cough_

He'd coughed loudly enough to silence the current speaker: a scrawny Nohrian. "…Milord, are you feeling well?"

Corrin huffed irritably. "Yes, I'm fine. Continue, we've wasted enough time tod—" Another cough interrupted him.

Camilla put a hand on his shoulder, concern in her violet eyes. "Oh, Little Brother, you sound ill…"

Corrin brushed her hand off, growing annoyed. "Yes, I'm fine! Gods, I cough a couple times and you people think I'm dying."

"Corrin, it isn't like you to get sick."

"I am not _sick._ At the very worst, my throat is sore." Corrin gestured angrily at the Nohrian advisor; "Get on with it! Just ignore me if I cough any further."

The advisors glanced amongst each other; the man with the floor cleared his throat and straightened his papers awkwardly. "A-As I was saying, shipments passing through the port of Nestra must always respect the weight limit of…"

* * *

 **March 14: Afternoon**

Corrin was careful to stay hydrated throughout the day, aided by Felicia never letting him be without a cup of water. By lunch, he had food in his system, and he felt in good health once again.

By that evening, he didn't cough once while playing games with Elise.


	4. New Things, Not Always Welcome

**IV. New Things, Not Always Welcome**

 **March 15: Morning**

Knock knock-knock knock.

Corrin froze in surprise, his shirt halfway buttoned. That wasn't Felicia's knock. "…Er, come in?"

He watched the door slowly creak open, almost dreading what he would find. Gods, if it was someone from work, he swore to every Dragon there is—

"B-Big Brother?"

His eyebrows furrowed. _Eli—?_ No—a head of neatly-combed red hair was peeking through the door, slowly settling on Corrin.

"Sakura," Corrin breathed, and a big smile grew on his little sister's face.

She pushed the door open, gesturing to unseen persons outside: "C'mon, everyone!"

Corrin's smile grew wider as two more people stepped through the door: his other elder sister Hinoka, and the newly-crowned High King himself, Ryoma.

"Gods," Corrin could barely gasp, standing from his bed to greet his siblings. "You're here…!"

Ryoma chuckled. "I'm glad to see you, Brother." He spread his arms wide. "You've only been gone a month, but even that long seems like an eternity."

Stunned, Corrin let his elder brother pull him into an embrace. His sisters, impatient, flanked him on both sides to hug him as well.

Peering past Ryoma's shoulder, Corrin caught a glimpse of Felicia standing in the hallway. A pleased little grin adorned her face, and she gave Corrin a friendly wave before leaving him alone with his family.

Corrin pulled away from the embrace. He felt overwhelmed. A happy kind of overwhelmed— _I think—_ but still, he had trouble discerning his jumbled mess of emotions. "Wh, why are you guys… here?"

Hinoka grinned. "Didn't Ryoma just answer that? We missed you, Corrin. It sucks being apart now that we can finally enjoy peacetime together."

"I, I h-had to go for work…"

"We are not _blaming_ you, Brother," said Ryoma with a smile. "That's ridiculous. Of course you had to go, so of course we had to visit."

Sakura beamed up at him. "I, er, I hope you've been having a good time here," she murmured. "I-I understand you haven't been alone, at least…"

"Y-Yeah." Corrin tried to focus. He couldn't. The—feelings—He couldn't remember the last time—

The Hoshidan siblings glanced at each other uncertainly.

"…Takumi had other work to do," Hinoka ventured, in the absence of Corrin asking. "He couldn't make it, but, uh, he told us to send his regards."

"Right." Corrin blinked rapidly, mentally repeating Hinoka's words until he understood them. "Right, that's… that's unfortunate. But, I'm sure he's needed wherever he is, so…"

He trailed off, not sure where to go from here. Looking around at his three present siblings, he finally determined one of his current emotions: _happy._ Yes, this was a good moment.

Corrin's shoulders slumped, and he smiled weakly. "Gods, I'm so glad you could come…!"

His siblings' cheer returned, and they all embraced him once again.

Corrin shivered in their arms. "And not for work… That, that feels so good." _We can spend time together…_

The sweet moment lasted quite a long time, but a gentle rapping at the door brought Corrin from his reverie: it was Felicia, still smiling.

"I'm really sorry to break up this moment," Felicia began, "but, Lord Corrin, you have breakfast soon. Family visiting isn't a good reason to skip a meal!"

"Aha. Right, right." Corrin passed Ryoma by, gesturing out the door with a thumb. "I have to go get breakfast with Camilla; it's kind of a routine for us. Will you guys be alright?"

Ryoma looked at Hinoka. Back to Corrin, Ryoma said, "Ah, why don't we all go with you? I'd eagerly enjoy a meal with you, Brother."

"Uh… sure, sounds great." Corrin scratched his head.

Sakura piped in: "Um, s-sorry, guys, but I'm not hungry. Is it—er—okay if I just go explore the fort?"

Hinoka smirked, nudging her sister. "Oho, 'explore the fort,' huh? Sure you're not looking for anyone in particular?"

Sakura flushed as red as her hair. "Sh-Shut up…"

"Enjoy yourself," Corrin swiftly interjected, patting Sakura's shoulder. He'd had enough recent experience with such teasing to sympathize with her. "I'll see you later, Sakura."

Sakura breathed easy. "Th-Thank you, Big Brother. S-See you."

* * *

 **March 15: Breakfast**

Camilla stood when she heard the door creak open: "Oh, good morning, Corr—!"

Immediately as Corrin's accompanying siblings, Hinoka and Ryoma, stepped through the door into the gardens, Camilla's words died in her throat, and her expression curdled with displeasure.

"…Oh." Camilla took her seat again. "I… wasn't expecting you, Your Highness. Nor you, Princess."

"Please, call me Ryoma," said Hoshido's High King gently, placing a hand on his chest. "We just arrived this morning; I hoped I would be able to share breakfast with our brother?"

 _"Our_ brother," Camilla echoed under her breath. He was sweet-talking her by not saying 'my.' "…Fine. Do as you will, as long as I get to have breakfast with Corrin."

Corrin flinched. Camilla certainly wore her displeasure on her sleeve. Unwilling to talk either party down, however, he gestured for Ryoma and Hinoka to take the seats opposite Camilla; evening the rectangular table out, he sat next to Camilla.

Time moved slowly. Utensils clinked against dishes, but no dialogue passed to make the wait any more bearable. Corrin hazarded a look at Camilla, to notice she was unabashedly glaring daggers at Hinoka across the table. Corrin glanced at his Hoshidan sister to judge her reaction, but to his disappointment, Hinoka was glaring back at Camilla with the same venom. He couldn't tell who had started their spiteful staring contest, but it seemed it was up to him to end it.

"So you two and Sakura took a wagon to get here, I imagine?" Corrin asked of his brother, who was sipping his tea quietly. "Was the trip pleasant?"

"Mm." Ryoma returned the tea to his tray, shaking his head. "It wasn't especially harrowing, but I wouldn't call a direct trip from Castle Shirasagi to here a _pleasant_ trip." He chuckled, which Corrin tried to parrot in order to lighten the mood. "Crossing the border was something of a hassle. Though I suppose I should count my blessings, given how our borders used to be."

"Used to be _impassible,_ in fact," Camilla added, trying not to clench her teeth. "Well—from _our_ side alone. The precious bounty of Hoshido kept just out of reach, while your people could come and go as they pleased." Perhaps to lessen the venom of her statement, she shrugged nonchalantly and reached for her teacup.

Ryoma smiled pleasantly. Corrin knew his brother; the samurai was adept at masking his displeasure if he so willed it, so Corrin couldn't determine if this was a forced, political smile or a genuine one. "Apologies for the correction, Lady Camilla, but my mother's magical barrier was not some anti-Nohrian wall. It simply drained the will to fight from… invaders."

"Water under the bridge anyway," Hinoka hissed, being much easier to read. "Now that Mother is _dead,_ Nohrians can come and go with as much malice as they wish."

Corrin laughed anxiously—a little too long. In fact, once he'd started laughing that nervously, it was hard for him to stop. His three siblings all watched him with varying levels of skepticism.

"Haha… ha." Corrin shivered. "L-Let's try to get along, guys… Camilla and I have to get to work anyway. Same time tomorrow?"

"Ah, the meeting for the proposal, right?" Hinoka asked, eyes brightening. "If you don't mind, could I tag along?"

Indignation lit in Camilla's expression. "I _knew—"_

Corrin was quick to interrupt her: "Sure, sounds good! You can sit on—on my _right_ side." Maybe if she and Camilla stayed out of the other's field of vision, he could avoid more conflict for the rest of the morning. "Now, let's go, okay? Work's gotta be done, amirite? Heh… heh." _You didn't even make a joke Corrin, stop laughing._

As the others stood up, Ryoma smiled politely at them, raising his teacup. "Then I will see you later, Brother," he said. "Good luck."

Corrin took a breath. "Thanks."

* * *

Hinoka's entrance did not go unnoticed by the staff. While the Hoshidans seemed to breathe easier with one of their own around, the Nohrians seemed far more disgruntled.

Corrin crossed his arms, Camilla's irritation rubbing off on him. _Why can't these guys just get along? Is it really that hard? We're all in it together from here on, they know._

He shook his head. _This is ridiculous._

* * *

 **March 15: Afternoon**

"How was—" Felicia began brightly as Corrin sat across from her, but his expression told the whole story. "…That bad, huh."

"Seeing them was great," Corrin muttered. "For the first five minutes, I was actually happy. I can't remember the last time I've felt like that for real." He huffed, digging into his meal. "Then we meet Camilla, and it's just _instant_ drama. I know they were enemies not too long ago, but c'mon." Corrin sighed. "We've been through way too much together to still be at each other's throats over things like this."

"Three months is a long time apart, Corrin," said Felicia seriously. "It's easy to forget."

Corrin winced.

They ate in silence for a moment. Just when Felicia had resigned herself to another silent lunch with her liege, he spoke up with, "Since when is Camilla that childish? I couldn't have _one_ pleasant morning with her, Ryoma, and Hinoka? Gods, when I finally got out of that meeting to go work on my own, I was almost _relieved."_

"I think she might be a little bit jealous, Corrin," Felicia murmured. "Now that your Hoshidan family is here, she won't have you all to herself anymore. Honestly, this past week—having breakfast with you every day—must've been just like old times to your big sister." She tilted her head and smiled. "So… go easy on her, okay? She'll come around, I'm sure of it. I for one really like your Hoshidan family."

Corrin grunted. "I guess. I can tell I'll be putting up with a lot of crap until then, though."

"Then keep your evenings… _busy,"_ Felicia added with a wink. "Make sure _you don't have free time,_ so you don't have to put up with them. Get what I'm saying?"

Corrin huffed impatiently. "But I haven't even been able to spend time with Sakura."

"There will be time, I'm sure." A smirk grew on Felicia's face; "And, you didn't hear this from me, but I think Princess Sakura's hands will be full in the evenings, too." She lowered her voice to a whisper: "She has a _crush!"_

 _So today's lunch has devolved to gossip,_ thought Corrin. He _was_ curious, he had to admit, but were he in Sakura's position, he would not appreciate the blathering behind his back.

Leaning over the table, still whispering (seemingly for the sole purpose of seeming conspiratorial, as the mess hall was practically empty as always), Felicia added, "I bet it's Silas she likes."

"I really don't want to know," Corrin muttered irately. "And, what? Aren't you and Silas dating?"

"Wh-What?" Felicia shook her head adamantly, growing immediately distraught. "N-No, no! We're not…" She inhaled. "Gods, did I give that impression somehow? I'm sorry, Corrin! I didn't mean to mislead you like that! No, me and Silas, we aren't together. I don't like him in that way!"

Her mouth was moving fast: an anxious rapid-fire, not a lying kind. Corrin grunted in response and looked away, silently pushing for a change in topic.

* * *

 **March 15: Evening**

"…and in order for the shipments of daikon to meet the monthly quota, they will need to reach a weight of _eight thousand kilograms,_ greatly exceeding Nestrian regulations; this shows that those numbers are infeasible for traversal by sea." One hand on his hip and the other grasping the page, Corrin paced under the lonely oak, lost in the text. "Therefore, _land_ travel will be required to make up the difference, including passage through the inhospitable Bottomless Canyon." Corrin took a breath and, in the pause, glanced at Elise to see if she was paying attention. As always, she was watching, wearing a patient smile. Whether she was _listening_ was irrelevant; she sat in lieu of the silent audience Corrin would be presenting to, which was all he needed.

Corrin sighed, dropping the paper atop the stack with the rest, and he sat cross-legged facing the princess. "I dunno how Hoshido is going to be able to deliver those kinds of shipments without parleying with Nestra for a change in regulations." He snorted. "Unless they want to start building _actual_ infrastructure in the Bottomless Canyon."

"Which would be easier?"

"Which would either country be willing to do for the other?" Corrin riposted. "Ideally, _both_ would happen, but the way proceedings are going, it looks like it's going to be a game of chicken between Hoshido and Nohr." He started to reach for the paper again.

"Maybe—" Elise leaned forward to stop his hand—"let's just take a break for a bit, 'kay? You've been talking nonstop for, like, half an hour."

Corrin smiled. "I like that idea." He retracted his hand, and so did Elise.

Elise sprawled out in the grass. "Your meeting today was kinda the talk of the fort. Your Hoshidan siblings showing up caused a huge stir, turns out!"

Corrin soured. "Yeah, I know. The meeting was painfully divisive. Good thing Hinoka's just visiting, not here for work, or things'll be pretty tense for the next few days." Corrin sighed. _"Especially_ with Camilla. Even breakfast was a slog. Though Felicia said she was probably just jeal—"

"—Jealous, yeah," Elise agreed, nodding. "Felicia's on the right track. Knowing Camilla, she's just gonna hate sharing you." The princess smirked. "Big Sis shoulda picked a better time of day to hog you! Evenings, apparently, are the _magic_ time."

Corrin chuckled.

"Speeeaking of Felicia," Elise sang teasingly. "Anything happen between you two lately~?"

"Are you kidding me with this, Elise? How many times will I have to say no?" Corrin shook his head irately. "Gods, that's the furthest thing from my mind."

Elise glanced away, sighing. "Must not be."

"Let's just get back to work, okay?" Corrin started to stand.

"Wait." Elise sat up, frowning thoughtfully. "Why _aren't_ you with your Hoshido siblings, huh?" She winked. "Am I _that_ special to you?"

"That's a trap," said Corrin. "You want me to call you special, but you _also_ want me to tell you the truth…"

Elise hit him on the arm, laughing.

"Anyway," Corrin chuckled. "They were all _kinda_ busy—not sure with what—and though they wanted to make some free time for me, I elected to come here instead. It works for everyone: they don't get distracted by me, and I get to spend time with _you."_ He ruffled her hair playfully, eliciting more giggles.

"Sounds good to me," Elise bubbled. _"Now_ you can get back to work."

* * *

Corrin felt like he _should_ have been reassured… Regardless, he slept poorly that night.

* * *

 **March 16: Morning**

"Hmmmngh…"

Well, there was no denying it anymore. With a stuffy nose, a painful throat, and a familiar, unpleasant weight in his chest, Corrin was forced to admit at last that, yes, he was sick. Though—the _weight_ wasn't a symptom. Rather, it was the same feeling that had plagued him six days ago:

 _Guilt._

Why?

Corrin crawled from the depths of his stifling blankets, reaching with protesting muscles for the clothes Felicia had placed at his bedside.

Guilt for… pretending things are fine. Putting on airs. His family is here, and he's still playing make-believe with his feelings.

…Corrin wasn't really sure what he meant by that; he only knew it was true.

 _What's one more lie,_ Corrin thought as he stood. Hearing Felicia's footsteps approaching, he called out before she could knock: "Come in."

A half-knock struck the door, as if she'd heard him as soon as she had begun. "…Are you sure?"

"Yeah, come in." He knew she'd notice his puffy eyes and ruby nose immediately, so he tried to assuage her concerns with a brief concession: "Well, I'm a little under the weather."

Felicia's eyes went wide as she hovered in the doorway. "Gods, you look awful, Corrin!"

"Do I really?" Corrin asked, feigning surprise. "I swear I don't feel _that_ bad. But some medicine wouldn't—Oh." She was hurrying over, assuredly to gauge his temperature.

As her cold hand rested against his forehead, he forced himself to breathe evenly. Holding a conversational tone took effort. He was _angry._ Of all things, he did NOT need a gods-damn _illness_ holding him back from finishing his work. It was hard enough and time-consuming enough without having to stop to blow his nose.

Felicia backed away a step, worry still etched into her expression. "You're running a _little_ warm…" She frowned. "It's not _feverish,_ so I don't think you HAVE to stay in bed, but—"

"I'm fine," Corrin interrupted. He had to fight not to sigh with relief that she wouldn't force him into a sickbed all day. "Some medicine would be great, but I feel well enough to work." He shot her a surprisingly-convincing grin to top off the act.

"Well, okay, but—" She frowned determinedly. "But if you get worse, _tell me,_ okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll—"

"Look me in the eye and tell me you will. Corrin?" She pointed at his eyes, then at her own. "Promise!"

"I… promise."

"Good." Felicia straightened his collar. "…Now go catch breakfast. I'll be in here if you need me." She flashed him a concerned smile.

* * *

 **March 16: Breakfast**

Today, Hinoka and Sakura had elected to join Corrin and Camilla for breakfast (Ryoma had evidently found himself busy, somehow; seemed even on days off he couldn't be constantly available). They repeatedly snuck furtive glances of Corrin, who sat rubbing his temples to stave off his newly-developed headache. It had come into being while he was walking to the gardens—nothing food wouldn't cure, he'd thought, but no luck so far. His siblings had been treating him delicately thus far in response.

"So," Sakura ventured. "How, um, do you like the waffles, Lady Camilla?"

"They're fine." To punctuate her statement, the Nohrian princess popped a forkful of them into her mouth. "For rural Nohr, they do the trick. Abating hunger is all we need."

"'We'," Hinoka scoffed. "Still playing games even outside the conference room, I see. _You_ are royalty, Lady Camilla. You can't pretend to bear the same burden your people do just for sympathy points."

Sakura paled. "Er—hey, what about the weather? I-It's pretty nice, right guys?"

Camilla clenched her fork white-knuckled, glaring at Hinoka. "Perhaps, _sweetie,_ you'd prefer we have a _private_ discussion ourselv—"

"Enough," Corrin declared tiredly, still rubbing his temples with his eyes shut. "Just… stop."

His siblings were all taken aback.

"…Sorry, Corrin," Hinoka murmured.

"Yes, let's… keep such arguments away from our dear brother." Camilla added a conciliatory smile towards Hinoka.

"And anyway, shouldn't we be going to the meeting at about this time?" Hinoka asked.

"I'm sure Corrin would agree that you needn't inflict that upon yourself for his sake." Camilla quirked an eyebrow, judging Hinoka's reaction.

The princess pursed her lips. Sakura looked away.

Dropping the subject, Camilla tilted her head. "Mm… Well, if you insist on coming, I'd say we have a few more minutes." She glanced the prince's way; "What do you think, Corrin?"

"I need to lie down," Corrin mumbled.

"Pardon?"

Corrin hazily pushed away from the table. He had to admit defeat. This headache was _killer,_ and it was merely the frosting on his illness cake. He couldn't pay attention like this, much less work on his proposal. _Due in three days,_ he thought miserably. "I'm gonna ask Felicia for some headache stuff, and then I'll try to sleep it off." Rising on wobbling legs, Corrin started to leave. "See you all… tomorrow morning, I guess."

"Let me walk you back," Sakura said, taking Corrin by the arm. Corrin was too weak to refuse, so they walked away together.

Hinoka blinked. "Ah, wa-wait, Corrin!" She huffed, stymied by the garden's door closing. "And he's gone. He really needs to go to the infirmary for something like that."

"Hmhmhm…" Camilla chuckled lightly. "Dear Hinoka, he doesn't want the infirmary. He wants Felicia." She smiled widely, watching the pieces slowly fall together for the Hoshidan princess.

But Hinoka scowled. "You tease him too much." She seized her tray, stacked upon Corrin's and Sakura's, and marched away from Camilla. She knew she wouldn't be able to say much more without inflaming another argument.

* * *

 **March 16: Afternoon**

"…Lord Corrin."

Corrin's eyes fluttered.

Felicia tilted her head, frowning at the drowsy prince. "Are you feeling well enough to come to the mess hall with me? The lunch hour will end soon, and I don't want you to sleep through it."

"Mmn." Corrin blinked several times before resting his scarlet eyes on Felicia. "Y-Yeah, just give me a minute." Grimacing, he sat up in his bed. "How… long was I out?"

"A few hours. Like I said, it's lunchtime now."

Corrin rubbed his eyes, groaning quietly. "I missed the meeting _and_ work time…"

"But are you feeling better now?" The corner of her mouth twitched upwards, hopeful.

Corrin eased his legs over the side of the bed. "I…" He tilted his head. "Congestion's a bit worse, but… yeah, I feel a little better."

The maid's smile grew in full. "Can… Can I just say how happy I am you actually came to me?"

"Huh?"

Felicia took Corrin's forearm, helping him stand. "Even with the promise, I didn't actually expect you to come let me know if you got worse. It… it really means a lot that you did."

Corrin furrowed his eyebrows. _I only did that because I felt so awful…_ Felicia linked her arm through his and turned him toward the door. "Is it really… that important to you?"

"Yeah." Felicia turned her eyes forward, and she reached for the doorknob herself. "I mean, it feels like… I dunno. It's nice to be trusted like that."

"…Hm…"

* * *

Food was the miracle elixir. Some greens, some protein, and a good amount of water had Corrin feeling significantly better in no time.

Felicia was lecturing him as they carried their trays away from their table: "Now, you aren't magically cured of illness. Keep hydrating throughout the day, and be sure to have more meat for dinner. Keep up your energy, and you'll recover smoothly." She grinned. "And, if you _do_ get worse, keep me in the loop. Okay?"

"Definitely," Corrin said, chuckling weakly. "You've really got this down, don't you?"

Felicia waved it away. "Oh, it's nothing! Flora taught me all this _years_ ago."

"…Right." Corrin took a breath. "Well, I missed out on a lot of work today. I'll have to make it up…" His heart fell. "…This evening."

Felicia winked. "Spirits up, milord! I'll drop by your room later to check on you, okay? Good luck!"

She spun on her heel, and master and maid went their separate ways.

* * *

'Better' wasn't 'perfect,' as Felicia had cautioned. A slight, dull throb remained in Corrin's temples, and that damn congestion wasn't going anywhere.

And the guilt, yes. That remained.

Corrin puzzled it over as he walked. He'd been purposefully avoiding the thought for the last several days, but now, he couldn't help but broach the topic. Where was the guilt coming from?

He could sum it up in a word. _Dishonesty._ The word echoed through his thoughts. Something about… something about… _things left unsaid._

Chills passed through him as he thought those words, and at that, he'd had enough. Shutting the curiosity away, he turned his mind forward to his proposal. He'd swing by the conference room, pick up some notes from Camilla, and head to his room to work. In fact, the conference room was just around this corner, was it… not…?

The sound of voices slowed Corrin's pace. Heated voices. Arguing voices. Corrin sidled along the wall, peering around the corner to see if he should avoid the confrontation. To his surprise—though, in hindsight, he should have seen it coming—three of his siblings stood outside the conference room. Ryoma and Hinoka, clashing with Camilla.

He sighed. _Of course. What could they be arguing about now?_ Seemed breaking it up would forever be _his_ problem.

"Why should I give the notes to you?" Camilla was saying indignantly. "I told Corrin he could count on me to hold onto them."

"I only intend to review them," Ryoma said calmly, but his expression betrayed him: his eyebrows were formed into an annoyed crease. "I want to ensure that your numbers line up with the ones I scribed myself."

Corrin frowned curiously. _Why would he…_

"Hah!" Camilla scoffed. "You even doubt my ability to write down some numbers? How insulting."

Ryoma's shortage of patience was growing plain. "I will give them back as soon as I'm through!"

"I refuse. These are for Corrin."

"Corrin is here at _my_ request."

"Irrelevant. Have you forgotten Corrin's role? He is a mediator between our nations, Your Highness."

Hinoka scoffed. "You're insufferable! Don't pretend you aren't just here to sway the proceedings in your favor."

"I'm not pretending anything of the sort," stated Camilla. "I told Corrin up front that I am here to oversee Nohr's interests. Can you say the same, Hoshidans?"

Ryoma folded his arms, clearly trying to calm himself. "…What do you want from me, Lady Camilla? I am _trying._ This proposal is supposed to be a step toward peace!"

Camilla's expression showed no sympathy. She leaned in closer, glaring at Hoshido's High King: "I want you to admit that you lied to our mutual brother. You told Corrin you were only here to see him… but you aren't."

Ryoma and Hinoka both flinched.

From his hidden position behind the corner, Corrin's hands fell limply to his sides. His eyes were wide.

"…Yes." Ryoma shook his head; Hinoka glanced at him in alarm. "Yes, we are here to balance the proceedings. With only Nohrian royalty present during the debates, I feared discussion would sway too far from Hoshido's best interests. You _must_ understand that, even with trade agreements meant to benefit us both, I must always be looking out for my people. I can't risk your influence swaying Corrin too heavily."

Camilla paused, mulling over Ryoma's words. Her expression was softening somewhat, and after a moment, she grew a little smile. "…There. That was all I wanted. Now…" She brushed her hair over her ear. "This would be certain to upset my darling Corrin, so let us keep this—"

"You _lied_ to me!"

Hinoka, Ryoma, and Camilla jolted to attention as Corrin rounded the corner. While he'd been numb a moment earlier, he was now alight with fire.

"Corrin," Hinoka began, taking a step closer, but Corrin silenced her with a violent gesture.

"I can't believe you!" he bellowed. "You—You—Why would you even lie about that?!" He shook his head angrily. "This—This is so _insulting!_ To me, to Nohr—gods, we're supposed to be _allies!"_

Hinoka cringed under the verbal assault. Ryoma, as well, grimaced and waited for Corrin to finish.

The enraged prince jabbed an accusing finger at his Hoshidan siblings. "You really have no faith in me, do you?! You thought that, since Camilla is here, I would suddenly not be able to do my job as mediator? No, no, _Corrin_ couldn't do that all alone; he needs some _Hoshidans_ here to _really_ set him right!" His face traversed the range of fury, disgust, and—finally—sadness. Sadness mixed with rage, to be sure. "You're _awful!"_

Camilla felt a stab of pity—in spite of herself—for the Hoshidans. "Corrin…"

"You could have told me from the start," Corrin continued. "You could've just said you're here for work." He threw his hands up, exasperated, and for a moment he was out of words. He simply glared at his siblings, watching them itch contritely.

And, in the end: "…Why?" Corrin's eyes had turned downward, unable to even look at his siblings. "I would've been disappointed, sure… but why would you tell me you were just here to see me if that wasn't true?"

When he looked up at his siblings, they noticed the frustrated tears in the corners of his eyes. Ryoma stepped closer, outreaching an arm and murmuring, "Corrin, I…"

"Save it!" Corrin brushed his hand away, suddenly heated again. "I—I can't look at you two. Camilla, give me those notes."

"Ah…" Reluctantly, the princess reached into her side bag, producing a thick journal and offering it to Corrin. "…Here."

Corrin snatched them from her hand—though his anger was not directed at Camilla, she undoubtedly wanted him to calm down, putting them momentarily at odds—and, gripping it tightly, stormed off.

 _Unbelievable._

 _And yet, so damn typical._

* * *

 **March 16: Evening**

Corrin had missed a lot this morning, and he found that deciphering Camilla's notes was even more difficult than interpreting his own. She had scribbled many little notes for Corrin in the margins, evidently as an afterthought meant to give him missing context, but they were often as inscrutable as the main body of her scribework.

He had no choice but to cancel plans with Elise and lock himself away in his room to slog through it. Hopefully it wouldn't take him all night.

…Though, on some level, he knew that this also served as a valiant excuse to not see her. To avoid the guilt he had come to associate with her presence, the guilt of _things left unsaid._

He should have known it wouldn't matter. When a knock came to his door, he immediately knew it was her.

Corrin didn't look up. "Come in." He'd explain why he missed their usual rendezvous and then send her off.

She entered quietly, moving closer to peer over the prince's shoulder. "So… this is what 'Working Corrin' looks like, huh?"

"Yeah." Corrin gestured at the window. "I'm used to having natural light, though. Working by lamplight makes me… haaa. Makes me sleepy." He glanced over his shoulder at the princess. "Why are you here, Elise?"

"Nooo, why are _you_ here?" Elise countered. "How come you didn't come to the oak tree?"

"I'm sick." He indicated his pale complexion. "Couldn't work this morning, so I'm making it up now."

"Aw." Elise removed one of her gloves and placed the back of her hand against his forehead—identical to Felicia's motions. "Ooh, yeah, that's pretty warm. I'm sorry, Corrin."

"Hah." While Elise slipped the glove back on, Corrin turned in his chair to face her. "Yeah, it's the _second_ worst headache I've had today." He knew he'd be inflaming his temper by going down this road, but he needed to vent: "Ryoma and Hinoka—they _lied_ to me! They only came here because Camilla's here; they thought they'd 'balance the discussions' by providing a Hoshidan perspective. And don't get me started on how having _two_ Hoshidans and _one_ Nohrian is inherently imbalanced."

Elise's jaw dropped. "No way! That's so mean!"

"It's not just _mean,_ it's _humiliating,"_ Corrin hissed through his teeth. "They didn't trust my judgment! They didn't need to come at all, but they _did_ just so that I, the _mediator,_ wouldn't be swayed. Ryoma and Hinoka, they _betrayed_ me!" He was shouting by that point, but caught himself and lowered his voice. "…Meanwhile, Sakura actually _wasn't_ here for work, just like you—she was here to see me… and apparently _Silas._ But there's no way she didn't know. She was silently compliant with the others' LIE." Trembling now— _mostly_ with anger. "And—and Takumi couldn't even be bothered to _pretend._ He couldn't even show up at all." Corrin shook his head violently, looking down at his feet. "Gods, but it was so obvious. They were busy in the evenings, probably with the same thing Camilla does. Camilla sends her reports to Leo, and the others must send them to… Takumi, I guess. But Camilla was honest about her work from the start. I can't… I can't believe they'd lie to me."

"I know how much it meant to you when you saw them visiting," Elise murmured. "They probably know you're not in a great place right now, Corrin. They wanted to give you some good news."

 _"Fake_ good news. Just seeing them is enough… I don't need their fictions."

"You're right. They shouldn't have done that, but you know they probably had good intentions, right?"

Corrin sighed, the breath ragged. "Please, stop, Elise. I know you're just being optimistic, but I don't want to hear that right now."

"I dunno, Corrin." She leaned against his desk, frowning at him. "I feel like you could use an optimist."

Corrin turned away his eyes. "…Anyway…" He gestured vaguely at her as he turned back to his work. "You should go. I need to get this done."

"Nuh-uh." Elise shook her head vigorously. "Remember why I'm here, Corrin?"

Corrin huffed. "'To help me enjoy the little things?'"

"Well, yeah. But besides that, I'm here to help you work! And if I can't help you _after_ you write, then I'll help you _while_ you're doing it." Elise grinned and seated herself on the prince's desk. She giggled; "Look at me, I'm your little helper!"

"You don't have to do that," Corrin sighed. "You're… off the hook today, Elise."

Elise tapped her chin mock-thoughtfully. "Well, let's review my options. Should I go wander the halls aimlessly and _die of boredom,_ or should I spend some quality time with my best friend…?"

 _Best friend._ The words tickled Corrin, easing a stupid smile from him. "If… If you insist, Elise."

"Ohoho, I really do."

* * *

The night moved quickly. Though the work took several hours, time flew by in the presence of Nohr's youngest princess, leaving Corrin to wonder why he hadn't been doing this from the beginning. Elise charmed him constantly, keeping him relaxed while never distracting him too heavily from his work. He couldn't help but think back on all the awful mornings, all the times an otherwise-good day was ruined by the monotony of work, and he kicked himself for never bringing in Elise to help. She didn't even need to contribute. Just her animated personality was enough.

Within no time, he was exactly where he wanted to be. He'd written his fill for today, and with Elise already present he found it had taken no time. Any progress he had lost this morning was almost made up. Today had been a very full day; possibly in part due to illness, Corrin found himself exhausted.

And, of course, his poor mood of earlier that evening had evaporated.

The prince took a deep breath, surveying the thick proposal before him. "Gods, look at this," he said, drawing Elise's attention to the massive document. "We're almost done."

"Really?" Her brow rose. "How much more?"

"Well, today's the sixteenth," Corrin murmured; he began flipping absently through the pages. "I have tomorrow and the day after that to work. I'm presenting it to Xander and the Advisory Board on the… the nineteenth."

"Whaaaat?" Elise pouted. "Aw, you have to work on my _birthday?"_

Corrin's eyes snapped onto her. "Oh, gods, I forgot!" He shook his head. "Wow, your birthday is in three days… I can't believe that slipped my mind."

She nudged him. "Well, if you're busy that morning, then promise you'll spend time with me that evening, okay?"

Corrin hesitated, frozen with a smile. "Y-Yeah. Definitely, Elise."

They were both quiet for a while. Work was done, Corrin was worn out; the night should be over.

"…So." Elise glanced at the door. "I should go, I guess. Sleep tight, Corrin."

His judgment possibly impaired by exhaustion, a fiery impulse shot through Corrin, bringing words to him unbidden: "Stay the night."

The princess glanced at him, a slight confused curl to her brow.

Corrin leaned forward, placing his hand over hers. "Stay."

Elise smiled. Corrin could feel the melancholy in her voice when she said, "I don't think you want that just yet." Gently easing his hand away, she pushed off of the desk. "Good night, Corrin."

* * *

She was right.

It didn't sting any less.

…He could've just _told_ her… just opened up right there—


	5. Degenerating

**V. Degenerating**

 **March 17: Morning**

"Hmmmnh."

Corrin's mood reflected his health: poor. He tried to tell himself it didn't have to do with Elise. He was almost able to convince himself. After all, he was a pretty adept self-deceiver.

Felicia treaded lightly around him that morning. She seemed disappointed, but she took his dour attitude in stride. It made him wonder if he really was this bad before Elise and Camilla arrived. He vaguely recalled his morale was low back then, but the way Felicia treated him—so practiced, as if this were normal—reminded him that this ill temper had once been regular to him.

The thought did not comfort Corrin. His health having degenerated was certainly a factor of that.

He hadn't told Felicia about yesterday. When she said "Enjoy breakfast with your siblings," Corrin forced a smile and agreed.

* * *

 **March 17: Breakfast**

Since Elise had arrived nine days ago, his routine had been to work on the proposal during the morning and edit it with Elise's help in the evening. Having slept through one of those timeframes yesterday, Corrin still felt unsatisfied in his work; it lacked an editor's touch. Thus, still angry with his siblings, he avoided the gardens and stole away to the conference room to finish catching up on the work he'd missed yesterday.

After a few hours alone, Hoshidans and Nohrians gradually trickled through every few minutes, notifying Corrin that the meeting would start fairly soon. While he and his family were usually on time to meetings, rather than early—in fact, the arrival of royalty had usually been an impetus for the meetings to begin—he soon found Hinoka and Ryoma standing in the doorway, scanning the room for their truant brother, well before the room had filled.

Corrin sighed irately, figuring he shouldn't have been surprised that they would look for him. He brushed off their concerned inquisitions, and when they tried to sit next to him, he refused, moving to another side of the room.

"I really can't deal with you two right now."

Corrin's words stinging, the Hoshidans numbly took their usual seats.

A few more tense minutes passed—Corrin still editing his proposal, though with some trouble focusing due to the presence of his siblings—and soon, Camilla's arrival (her expression showing concern mirroring Hinoka and Ryoma's) signaled the start of the day's meeting.

Corrin couldn't meet her eye. "Please let me sit alone, Camilla. I'm sorry."

Frowning, Camilla let him be. She approached the Hoshidans, a question on her tongue: "Did Corrin have breakfast with you?"

"No," Hinoka admitted, quiet so as not to disturb the meeting. "I thought he was with you."

"No, he wasn't." Camilla glanced at her brother; he seemed uncharacteristically intent on the discussions of the Nohrian and Hoshidan advisors. "I suppose he must have skipped breakfast…" She shook her head. "Apologies, but do you mind if I sit with you?"

Hinoka blinked, and she glanced at Ryoma (equally surprised). To Camilla, she whispered, "Y-Yeah, go ahead."

Flashing the Hoshidans a somewhat contrite smile, Camilla sat.

* * *

 **March 17: Afternoon**

Corrin had work to do yet. Even having worked on the speech all morning, he was still behind; to Felicia's surprise, he was already at the lunchroom, having brought his proposal along and toiling away at it by the time she arrived. A tray of half-eaten food sat forgotten next to his work.

Corrin didn't want to pretend, but he also didn't want to rub his low mood off on Felicia, so when she seated herself across from him at the lunch table, he cleared his throat and gave her a little smile. "Sorry about my mood this morning, I just… I'm frustrated that I'm sick."

Felicia brightened. She wore on her sleeve how the apology had touched her. "I, I totally get it, Corrin! It's fine."

 _Cough, cough._ He couldn't deny that her mood was a bit infectious. He found himself lightening just from her bubbling response. _Cough._

"How's the speech coming along?" Felicia casually asked, gesturing at the stack of papers.

Corrin shrugged. "It's coming, I guess. I have today and tomorrow to work on it, and I'm behind. If I slave away at it today, I should be back on track to have it ready for the deadline on the nineteenth." He exhaled. "Boy, am I ready to be done with it."

Felicia laughed. "Yeah, I'd imagine! Hahaha." She pushed a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth. "Sho, how are thingsh wif the fillage girl?"

"They're…" Corrin's mind wandered to the events of last night. "…They're fine."

Felicia swallowed. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry, I just—"

"It's okay," Corrin chuckled. "You're just making conversation. No worries."

"Oh, o-okay." She paused. "So, you two are fine?"

"I think so. Last night was… well, I couldn't meet her, because I had to work, so she snuck in to meet me."

"Aw, that's swee—" Felicia suddenly froze. "Wait. Weren't you in your room?"

"…Yeah?"

"She was in your _bedroom?!"_

Corrin blinked. Her voice was oddly panicked. "Yes, but nothing… _happened,"_ he responded, confused.

Felicia hesitated, gathering her bearings. "S-Sorry. Well, I'm, I'm glad you had some fun." She quickly stuffed her mouth with food to shut herself up.

Remembering his own plate, Corrin figured he needed to eat _something,_ having skipped breakfast. He probably wouldn't get much work done as long as he had Felicia to talk to, so this was as good a time as any. Pushing his speech aside, Corrin reached for his tray.

They ate in silence for a while.

Corrin decided a change in subject was in order, and he had to admit, he was _very_ curious: "Any news on Sakura and Silas?"

Felicia's expression lit up, and she hastily swallowed her food to speak. "Yes! I was _right!_ They've been spending _plenty_ of time together the last couple days." She smirked, proud of herself. "Hm, hm~ I wonder who's gonna ask who out?"

"That's… Hm." Corrin frowned. "That's a good question. Doesn't seem in character for Sakura, and Silas will probably be intimidated by her rank…"

"Maybe we should give them a little _nudge?"_ Felicia teased.

Corrin chuckled. "If they haven't done anything by the time I finish the speech, then MAYBE I'll be your accomplice."

Felicia giggled.

* * *

Conversation flowed casually and naturally. Even as they returned their trays to be cleaned, they only halfway paid attention to their surroundings, so engrossed in each other they were.

Felicia wore a constant smile as she walked Corrin back to his room. Corrin had almost forgotten he was sick. Thankfully for them both, it was a long walk.

"Picture this scenario," Felicia asserted. "Silas pretends his memory has been cursed. Sakura tries her best to cure it, but he's just making it all up in order to spend time with her."

"And the curse is _true love,"_ Corrin said, with a laugh. "Yeah, that doesn't sound like something he'd do, but it would make for a funny story anyway."

Felicia adopted a youthful, high-pitched voice. "Mommy, how did you and Daddy meet?" She then performed a startlingly-accurate impression of Sakura: "W-Well, you see, it all started when he pretended to be mentally ill…"

Corrin had to stop and brace himself against the wall, practically doubled over from laughter. Felicia caught the contagion and leaned against him for support, laughing just as hard.

Accidentally, with her clinging to him like that, his lips brushed against her cheek. Excited goose bumps traced down Corrin's arms.

Corrin's laughs soon devolved into a coughing fit, but even that couldn't defeat his smile. Felicia was reassured.

After a bit, they resumed their walk to Corrin's room. As they conversed, Corrin couldn't help but wonder if Felicia was walking a bit closer to him. It may have been his imagination… or perhaps the corridors were narrowing, necessitating she walk closer? He tried not to read too much into it.

Time flew. Even in the sizeable walk from the lunchroom to Corrin's, the prince walked slowly, trying to put off work, trying to extend this time together, but it wasn't a permanent solution. They found themselves standing in front of Corrin's door before they knew it.

"I guess I've gotta leave you here, then," Felicia said, smiling weakly.

Corrin wasn't imagining the reluctance in her tone. "You know, Felicia, I'm not _that_ far behind," he said, putting his hands on his hips. "If you wanted, we could both go—"

He froze, taking his hands off of his hips. Icy horror raced through his spine as he gazed into his empty palms.

"…Corrin, what's—"

"Shit," Corrin breathed. "Oh, shit."

 _I left it in the lunchroom._

Felicia was startled, but as she saw him staring at his hands, the pieces fell together. "Corr—"

Without another word, Corrin dashed back in the direction they had come from. Panic struck him in a way it hadn't since the war. Fear. A hole within him. All that work—

Corrin coughed as he ran. The halls were spinning, though he knew the way. Even though it was all closing in on him.

He could taste saline. Water. When he stumbled, hands that were not human braced himself on the ground. He heard a call of his name, but it was distorted, submerged. When he coughed again, shining water flowed from his maw.

He shook his head. His arms dripped wet, but slowly they shifted back to ones he recognized. He was able to right himself—and stagger a few more steps forward—before his legs gave out entirely, and the walls closed in.

* * *

…

"…Elise…"

The name tumbled from Corrin's mouth as he awoke. Blearily, he forced his eyes open, finding a stone ceiling overhead.

Two familiar faces leaned over him. He recognized them both—Sakura and Elise—but the latter seemed to stand out clearly. He could make out the details in her expression, while Sakura seemed hazy.

A faint smile touched Corrin's lips, and he raised his hand with the intention of cupping the Nohrian princess's cheek. She tilted her head slightly in expectation, her expression awash with relief.

"Elise," Corrin whispered again, "I…"

Then, a sharp sound: fingers snapped before his eyes, and Sakura came clearly into view.

"Big Brother," Sakura whispered. "Are you with me?"

Corrin winced, trying to avoid eye contact with Elise. The princess seemed a bit disgruntled by Sakura's interruption, but he knew Elise would be too polite to make a fuss over it.

"Y-Yeah. I'm alright." Corrin rubbed his eyes. When he opened them, he took in his surroundings more thoroughly. This was definitely the infirmary. While Elise and Sakura hovered over his bedside, Ryoma, Hinoka, and Camilla were lingering nearby. "Oh… Hey, everyone."

His three siblings all smiled back at him, concern replaced with relief.

"Aren't you guys usually busy at this time?"

Ryoma chuckled. "Come now, Corrin. I don't need to tell you that we prioritize your _health_ over work." He nodded at Sakura. "Felicia found you, but Sakura and I brought you here. Felicia went off to secure your paperwork once we assured her of your safety. She said she would return it to your room once she found it."

"I came as fast as I could when I heard," said Elise, frowning. "I didn't realize you were _this_ sick…"

Corrin frowned. "How long was I out?"

"About t-two hours," Sakura answered.

"Ah…"

 **March 17: Late Afternoon**

"Listen." Ryoma was suddenly grave. "While I have your ear, I must apologize for before. The deception was my idea, and a terrible one for sure."

Sakura wrung her hands. "I-I'm sorry for not telling you, Big Brother. I feel like if, if I'd said something sooner, w-we could've avoided all this stress…"

"Me too," Hinoka said contritely. "You know, Takumi was ahead of _all_ of us. He refused to go along with the lie, knowing it would end in a fight… He told us, "And I'm _done_ fighting with Corrin." …We should've listened. _I_ should've listened."

 _Takumi…_ Corrin shook his head, smiling reflexively. "That's… I'm surprised he would say that." _Takumi had my back, even then…_

"It's true," said Ryoma. "That's why he's been working with His Highness and the Advisory Board instead of here."

"I… Thank you," Corrin murmured. "I accept your apologies, all of you. Honestly… if you'd just said so from the beginning, I _still_ would've been overjoyed just to see you at all."

His Hoshidan siblings all smiled at him. Elise and Camilla both did the same; they could feel the warmth of _family_ filling the room.

Sakura clapped her hands together, turning on her sister and brother. "This was great! B-But, now, Corrin needs some rest. Everyone out, okay?"

The priestess shooed Corrin's reluctant siblings out of the infirmary; Camilla and Elise both waved good-bye to Corrin before the doors shut.

Sakura turned back for Corrin, clearing her throat to catch the prince's attention. She grasped the bloom festal lying at his bedside. "Corrin, s-sorry to get more serious. You've been sick lately, haven't you?"

"Y-Yeah. At least for the last few days."

"When was the last time you were sick before that?"

Corrin's mouth opened to reply, but he found he couldn't think of an answer.

"…That's what I thought," Sakura murmured. "I've never seen you get sick, and when I asked Lady Camilla, she couldn't remember a time either. Corrin, this is just stress, through and through. Stress-induced illness like I've never seen."

"That's absurd."

"It's the truth, Big Brother." She rested a hand on his shoulder. "I, your healer, am prescribing a _low stress environment_ for the next few days, and you _can't_ miss any more meals. Okay?"

"Wait. Does this mean I can't work?"

"You can…" She mulled it over. "…You can _present_ the speech. Someone else will have to finish it."

For a moment, Corrin was indignant: he wouldn't even be allowed to finish what he'd started? Impossible!

But the moment passed, and soon Corrin mellowed. The proposal _would_ be finished. He had more than done his part. If Ryoma or Camilla or someone wanted to complete it, then more power to them.

"Okay."

Sakura smiled slightly, and she patted Corrin on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, Corrin. I, I know we were probably part of the stress…" She shook her head, still smiling. "Get some sleep. I'll w-wake you up in the morning."

She left him alone in the quiet room.

For a while, Corrin just sat still, thinking about… nothing in particular. His plans for the next two days had just been upturned. If he couldn't finish his proposal, what would he do with all that free time? At the moment, planning the day was equally distressing as to what Sakura was trying to prevent.

So he closed his eyes and tried not to think about that. He tried to simply relax.

* * *

 **March 17: Evening**

 _"Corrin,"_ came a sharp whisper, and Corrin glanced toward the infirmary's entrance. Elise stood just before the doors, putting a finger to her lips and grinning mischievously as she tiptoed closer.

Corrin smiled. "Elise."

As Elise drew near, she gestured vigorously at him, whispering "Make some room!" Curious, Corrin did as he was told and scooted over in his small sickbed, careful not to tug loose the sheets he was using. To Corrin's surprise, Elise quickly slipped into the minimal space next to him, lying atop the sheets.

He didn't say anything, though, and soon he followed her example by smiling up at the ceiling. Both lying on one infirmary bed made for a cramped situation, but not an especially uncomfortable one. It was like stargazing.

"How was your day?" Her voice was a whisper.

"Could've been better, I guess."

"Could've been worse?"

"Mm…" Corrin shrugged (hard to do in such close quarters). "I guess so. Lunch was good."

Elise nudged him, smirking. "Fun with Felicia?"

"Yeah, actually. Had a really fun conversation. Heh, at one point we were laughing so hard I couldn't walk. She hugged me, and my lips touched her cheek." Immediately he realized that he shouldn't have divulged that information, for Elise was already glowing.

The princess clapped her hands together rapidly, unable to resist a giddy squeal betraying her excitement at the news. "You _kissed_ Felicia?!"

"On the CHEEK!" Corrin whisper-shouted. "And on ACCIDENT!"

"Oh, stop pretending you don't like her like that," Elise said. "Life's too short to be worried about that kinda thing."

"Life's too short to play games with a solid friendship," Corrin countered.

Elise clicked her tongue playfully. "Ooh, so _cynical!_ Am I talking to the right Corrin?"

Corrin huffed. "A lot's changed, Elise."

"Don't I know it."

They were quiet again, watching the unchanging ceiling.

"'Life's too short,'" Elise echoed. "…Corrin."

"Hm?"

"With this proposal—this big thing you've been working on, the thing that's stressed you out enough to _hospitalize_ you… With it, do you think you're making a difference?"

Corrin frowned. "I… would like to think so. This should be a big deal, benefiting Nohr and Hoshido both."

"So do you think it was worth it?"

That gave Corrin pause. He had to take a moment to think about Elise's words.

He looked at her, smiling a little bit. "…Well, it let me see you, didn't it?"

Elise giggled. "Yeah, it did." Shifting to lay on her side and meet Corrin's eye, she whispered, "Do you ever wonder if what you've done _really_ matters?"

"That's… deep. Are you all right, Elise?"

She sighed. "This just got me thinking. Like, if you were gone tomorrow, would you be proud of everything you've done? Do you think you've left a good enough legacy?"

"I…"

Again, Corrin had to mull over her words carefully.

"…I've changed the world," he murmured. "And now I have to make sure it's a change for the better. I feel like I still have things to do, Elise. This can't be it."

"Do you have any regrets?"

Corrin stared into her lavender eyes, clear as day.

 _Elise…_

"…No," he lied. "I can't afford to."

Her face broke into a grin. "That's a great answer, I think," she murmured. "You can't change anything that's happened, but you can make for a better future, right?" She poked him in the chest. "Maybe that speech of yours is a big deal, after all."

Corrin grinned as well. "Hey, I thought you were only here to help me enjoy the _little_ things? 'Big deals' are _my_ job!"

Elise giggled.

As he laughed, Corrin found himself suddenly exhausted. The lethargic effect of Elise's presence.

"I should let you sleep," Elise whispered. "Good night, Corrin."

Corrin wanted an excuse to refuse—he grasped at words, searching for a reason to have her stay, but as she inched closer, all words died in his throat.

"I really think the future will be better," Elise breathed. "Close your eyes, will you?"

Corrin had to comply. Her arms folded around him in a warm hug, and she leaned in to press her lips to his forehead.

He didn't open his eyes again until morning.


	6. Things Left Unsaid

**VI. Things Left Unsaid**

 **March 18: Morning**

"Haaaaa…"

Corrin roused with a smile and overbearing warmth in his chest. Distracting warmth, actually. Everything seemed like a daze. (His congestion might have been a part of that, but that was neither here nor there.) Well, it was a welcome feeling after so many weeks of the opposite. After all, yesterday had been quite productive:

One. Felicia had found the proposal, untouched from the spot at which Corrin had left it. Though, now, he found its security trivial to him… It seemed like a concern of yesteryear. After everything, he was not surprised to hear of its safety, though he supposed it was good that no one need start the thing from scratch.

Two. He felt closer to his siblings than he had been in a while; indeed, they visited him not long after he awoke to express their enthusiasm about his wellness. Deeming him well enough to leave the infirmary, Sakura walked him to his room to prepare for his day, offering him her arm and a lighthearted lecture about how he needs to be sure to take it easy today, okay? "Drink lots of water, Big Brother."

Three. Honesty. He knew that the _things left unsaid_ had yet to be directly addressed, certainly not in words, but… now, more than yesterday, more than _ever,_ Corrin knew something.

 _"Xander and I were both sure the two of you would end up together."_

Camilla knew. It had taken him so long, but Corrin finally picked up the pieces.

 _"So that means… You and I have a secret from everyone!"_

Gods, it was so obvious.

Corrin wanted to laugh, to lose himself to mirth, but for now he was forced to settle with a light chuckle. For no reason in particular—probably peer pressure—Sakura giggled too, characteristically nervous.

"I'll leave you right here," said Sakura cheerfully once they arrived at his bedroom. "Have a good day, Big Brother. Let me know if you feel worse, okay? I'll be around the infirmary most of the day anyway."

"You sound like Felicia," Corrin said, snickering. "A-Anyway, I'll, haha, I'll do that." While his sister departed (with a smile and a wave), Corrin reached for the knob. Felicia was already inside, folding laundry, and she glanced over her shoulder as he opened the door.

She broke into a wide grin, which Corrin mirrored. "Good morning, Corrin!"

"This seems backwards," Corrin said, leaning against the door frame. "Usually you're the one walking in on me." He gestured at the door; "Should I do your little knock?"

Felicia mock-pouted. "No way, get your own!"

Corrin laughed, and he closed the door behind him. "Good morning, Felicia." He strode over to his bed; to Felicia's surprise, the prince immediately flopped face-first onto the mattress.

"Goodness, you're light on your feet this morning," she mused. "Did Lady Sakura give you some painkillers? Hahaha."

"Heheh. No, no, I'm just…" He rolled onto his back. "Just, good things happening lately. Had a _surprise_ visitor in the infirmary last night."

"A visitor…?" Felicia hesitated. "Who could've _visited_ you? I tried, but Princess Sakura was too vigilant."

"Guess she was sneakier."

"She." The maid stared at him. "You don't mean _her?"_

 _"Her,_ yep," Corrin giggled. "Gods, I really needed to see her. She always knows just the right time to… to show up."

Felicia smiled. She couldn't help it, really. Corrin looked so happy. He was just sprawled on his bed, wearing a dumb grin.

"You really like this girl, huh," she murmured.

Corrin nodded. "Yeah." His cheer was relaxing into contentment. "I think…" He looked over at Felicia. "I'm pretty sure I'm in love with her."

Felicia's eyebrows rose, and despite herself, her own smile twitched slightly in response. "…Is that so?"

Corrin's glazed eyes returned to the ceiling. "No, no… I'm _absolutely_ sure I'm in love with her." He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I've known… for a long time, I think. I've just been holding myself back…" His eyebrows furrowed, and he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. "…Why? Why haven't I just… admitted it? For all this time…?"

"All this… time?" Felicia murmured. Her smile began to fade.

"I've known her for so long," Corrin whispered. "Since I was a child. And I've loved her… forever. So why haven't I just…?"

Dread crept into Felicia's chest. An indescribable pain, a pain she'd only felt once before, stabbed at her; suddenly, finally, all was clear. "…Oh."

The room was deathly quiet for far too long.

Felicia ventured into the silence, trying for a peppy tone and only halfway succeeding. "I think I know who you're talking about, then."

Corrin didn't mind. He was so tired, so beaten, he couldn't begin to care who knew anymore.

"…It's Princess Elise, isn't it."

Corrin didn't answer, but, just like the other day, his smile gave him away. _Of course Felicia would know, too. She was there._

Felicia rocked back and forth on her feet, trying to keep herself composed while her mind was racing. Tact is everything. "So… you haven't told her? Do you think you've just been, um… repressing those feelings?"

"Repressing…" Corrin's eyes opened. "Repressing… Yes, that must be it. Right? Since the end of the war, I've been so—so—busy. So much work, _stress_ … I've forgotten so much."

"I see…"

Felicia was brimming with questions, but every one of them tasted bitter on her tongue. She didn't dare address them. Gods, this changed everything.

"W-Well… um…" Felicia forced her attention onto the unfolded clothes before her. "Be, be sure to get dressed, milord. Don't want to keep your—your siblings waiting." She cleared her throat.

Corrin's oblivious smile hadn't waned. "Right, right…"

* * *

 **March 18: Breakfast**

The same stupid smile had been plastered on Corrin's face all morning. He couldn't even fathom why. Everything was just so dreamlike today. Well, he couldn't complain.

In the gardens, Ryoma informed him that—as Corrin had surmised—Hinoka and Camilla would adopt the remainder of Corrin's speech together, promising to have it completed by tonight; wellness permitting, Corrin would still be the one to present it to the Nohrian Advisory Board tomorrow morning. Corrin requested the princesses not edit anything Corrin had already finished.

Breakfast was relatively uneventful, though Corrin was amused by the care with which his siblings watched him eat. They seemed eager to ensure he downed every last bite of his protein-laden meal; he supposed that, while it felt like coddling, he _had_ earned their distrust when it came to eating. They seemed united in their concern for him, which was a pleasant change of pace.

When breakfast was done, Camilla, Hinoka, and Ryoma bid Corrin a farewell. He felt a somber pang at last; he couldn't help but feel left out, but there was nothing to be done. They had to work. He did offer to take their empty food trays for them, since he wasn't busy anyway, which they agreed to with smiles and friendly farewells.

Wandering the castle was odd at this time of day. No: correction, not just odd— _jarring._ A day off? He hadn't had one of these since the end of the war.

No: correction, he hadn't _let_ himself have one. When idle, his mind tended to wander to… uncomfortable places. Places he was—what was Felicia's word?— _repressing_ at the moment. He was in too good of a mood to think about that nonsense.

Assuring himself he had his Dragonstone—Felicia would likely have a reprimand waiting for him should he forget it—Corrin headed outside the fort. The sun was bright and high. He hadn't been outside to enjoy it before sunset in quite a long time.

Habit still kicked in. Even knowing that Elise would not be there this early in the day, Corrin's feet took him to the same old oak atop the hill.

He admired the tree. He'd always thought of it as having an autumn hue thanks to the setting sun, but spring was nigh, and in broad daylight it showed; the tree was a vibrant, healthy green. Corrin smiled as he placed his hand against the cool bark.

"Corrin."

Corrin turned toward the voice, his heart rising. "…Elise?"

"I'm afraid not, brother."

Corrin blinked, almost disbelieving, as he beheld Nohr's regal king striding closer.

"Good morning, Corrin," said Xander, smiling widely. "It's been some time."

"I-It has," Corrin muttered numbly. "Why—I mean, how are you here?"

"I couldn't wait." Xander placed his firm hand on the prince's shoulder. "I understand the meeting is tomorrow, but I had to see you again, Corrin. I stole away to catch you while neither of us were busy."

"I guess you heard about me being sick, then…"

"Word travels quickly, brother. But we could choose to see this as an opportunity, could we not? We would not have this time together were you well."

"…You're right about that." Corrin glanced around awkwardly. "W-Well, take a seat, I guess." He gestured at the grassy hilltop.

Xander seated himself next to the tree, and Corrin next to him.

Corrin spied the fort in the distance. "It looks completely different in the sunlight…"

"It's beautiful, in a way," Xander mused. "You know, this fort was chosen due to its proximity to the border, lying within Nohrian land. It has long been a lookout point, a base from which we Nohrians may watch our Hoshidan neighbors from afar." He shook his head… "…While in the past the distant looks were of envy and hatred, I aspire for a future where those looks are trivial. A simple glance toward a friend."

"Poetic," Corrin chuckled. "But I absolutely agree. I'm tired of the fighting… no, the infighting. It feels like everyone is family in the same household, yet they won't get along because they were raised in different rooms."

"Well, to you, they _are_ all family," Xander noted. "Hoshido and Nohr alike. You have a unique perspective that the rest of us do not, and that is why you were chosen to mediate."

Corrin shook his head; his eyes were still distant, watching the fort. "That means it's up to me to make everyone get along. I'm the only one with incentive. I'm sure Hinoka would be thrilled to never have to speak to Camilla again, and vice versa, but I couldn't cut either of them out of my life."

"You'll find a way to, I'm certain." When Corrin glanced at his older brother, Xander had a reassuring smile waiting for him. "Corrin, you've managed to bring peace to an endless war _without_ the butchering of either nation. I think you can make their peoples get along." He nudged the prince. "They have you, remember, to unite them. You were _born_ with that destiny."

Corrin shook his head, smiling. "Gods, Xander. You're quite a wordsmith."

"You think so? Heh."

After that, they were both quiet. The breeze, Corrin found, was lovely; he closed his eyes to feel it against his skin.

"…For an ill man, Corrin, your spirits seem high. Why is that?"

Corrin grew a reflexive smile. "Well… it's that you and Camilla were right, is all."

"We were right?" Though it took him a moment to understand, Xander soon smiled as well. "Ah… I see."

"Honestly, it makes me happy," Corrin murmured. "I keep thinking, thinking about conversations we've ever had, and it just makes me more and more sure."

"Of course you're sure," said Xander. "You're right. Elise could not keep such a secret from her siblings. We always knew."

"You should've—" But Corrin realized his tone was growing confrontational, so he breathed evenly and tried again, much calmer. "…You should have told me. You, or Leo, or Camilla."

"I know. There is much I _should_ have done." Xander sighed. "…You and Elise… If I have one regret, it is my treatment of the two of you. You deserved much better from your elder brother."

Elise's words came to Corrin immediately: "You can't change the past."

"You are right about that. I suppose all we can do is change the future, and _you_ have proven to be quite adept at that, brother."

"Tomorrow is the next big step," Corrin declared. "They're just trade agreements—the most mundane possible thing—but it's going to change things between our nations forever. I'm sure of it."

"Seems you have a way with words yourself," said Xander, standing. He offered a hand for Corrin to shake, which the prince did as soon as he regained his feet. "Then, I shall see you tomorrow morning, won't I?"

"I'd certainly hope so, Big Brother."

Xander started to turn away, but he paused, glancing at Corrin with a sly grin. "…And, don't tell anyone I sneaked all the way out here, all right? I would rather avoid a scolding if I could."

Corrin laughed. "Of course, Xander. See you."

"Farewell, brother."

While Xander walked away, new resolve entered the young prince.

 _Tonight. Tonight is the night._

 _I am going to open my heart to Elise._

* * *

 **March 18: Late Afternoon**

Ordinarily, Corrin left at this time to meet Elise under the oak on the hilltop. His heart threatened to beat out of his chest. He had no idea what he was going to say, and just the thought of the conversation filled him with dread.

However, his lunch with Felicia had been relatively early today—seeing the lunchroom filled with people while he was there had proven to be a unique experience—so Felicia had insisted they grab another, smaller meal before the day was done, which Corrin obliged. Instead of leaving the fort as usual, he went to the gardens, where Felicia had told him she had food waiting for him.

As he arrived, she offered him a full smile and gestured at the seat across from her, where, sure enough, a plateful of food awaited. Corrin slid into the chair and dug in.

He couldn't deny that something about Felicia was a little _off._ She was always friendly, but today something about her kindness seemed different… he would have suspected condescension if he wasn't referring to _Felicia_. "Walking on eggshells," perhaps?

He had wondered why she would ask him to share another meal, since Sakura had only prescribed two a day, and Felicia certainly seemed like she had something on the tip of her tongue. It was very odd. And, given the place his mind had been in all day, he couldn't help but wonder if… well, he never entertained the thought directly, but on some level… he had to wonder if this was going to be some kind of love confession.

Seemed ridiculous… didn't it? That Felicia would take a step like that. He and Felicia had spoken yesterday about Sakura's lack of confidence, but Felicia was the same way. She wouldn't be so forward.

Corrin tried to _repress_ those musings, and chat remained casual throughout the brief meal. The gardens were quiet and productive to the lighthearted atmosphere. His mind frequently wandered to Elise, reflecting on what he would say.

Until, when his tray was clear and their conversation lulled, Corrin placed his hands on the table and slowly stood. "This was nice," he said cheerfully. "But I don't want to keep Elise waiting."

 _Elise._ Speaking her name aloud sent tingles through his body. Spiting the taboo.

Felicia's smile had died, and she seemed to be casting about for an excuse to speak.

"So I'll see you later, okay?"

Her chance was slipping away. Grasping at it, she finally took a leap.

"It's not healthy to pretend," said Felicia abruptly.

Corrin paused, confused. After brief deliberation, he slipped back into his seat. "…What?"

"You shouldn't…" Felicia closed her mouth, her eyes darting away as she gathered her words. "L-Lying to _me_ is one thing… and I totally understand why you would! Don't get me wrong there, heheh. You, uh, you don't have to tell me everything. Or—anything, really."

At that moment, Corrin picked up on the pity filling Felicia's eyes.

"But don't lie to yourself, okay?" Felicia reached over the table to touch his fingers; he absently adjusted his hand over hers. "You—You deserve better than that, Corrin. If you keep telling yourself that things are a way that they aren't, then… you'll believe it. And, and then I think you'll get hurt."

Corrin found it hard to meet her eye.

"I don't want you to get hurt, milord," Felicia whispered, and her hand crept away. "Please think about yourself, and… stop pretending. Be honest. If not to me, if not to… her, then to _yourself_ , at the very least."

At that, she gently lifted her empty food tray and excused herself, leaving Corrin alone with her words.

* * *

She was right. She was motivating him, erasing his doubt.

 _Stop pretending._

Dammit, he WILL. It was about time he started being honest.

* * *

 **March 18: Evening**

He had never been so nervous before. The trend of the day seemed to be "overwhelmed with emotion," and now, as Corrin's lead feet dragged him toward the same old hilltop, he found himself barraged on all fronts by feelings he couldn't begin to parse. Eagerness, expectation, dread, fear… _guilt._ Things left unsaid, but not for much longer.

"Hi, Corrin! How are you feeling?"

Corrin offered her a frail smile and an affirmative platitude, but little else more. He couldn't do it. He couldn't. A part of him thought, was certain, that Felicia's advice would be for nothing. His legs were weak, and so was his resolve. _Open your heart, Corrin._ He couldn't.

"…Want to play for a while?" Corrin murmured.

"Sounds great!"

She took him by the hand.

* * *

The evening whiled away uneventfully. It was like nothing had changed since two days ago. Like Corrin's entire perception of reality hadn't been upturned. The only exception was that they weren't distracted with talk of Corrin's speech anymore, which was… welcome, yeah.

Corrin was fully committed to flaking on his earlier promise (paradoxical as that was). He knew he would get hurt if he didn't. Something in him wondered if the opposite would hurt, too, but he tried shutting that thought down, to no success. By the time the sun had vanished past the horizon, it had become an itch in his mind, consuming his thoughts.

 _I need to. I NEED to do it. I have to be honest._

He was shivering with anxiety, but Elise's hand lay over his, stilling him. "It's late," the princess whispered. "How about I walk you back to your room?"

"Y…Yeah." Corrin nodded hesitantly, and Elise gave him a small, reassuring smile.

They returned to the fort in relative silence. Corrin's head swam the whole walk. He had hoped that exercising would divert his attention away from the _things left unsaid._ Gods, he couldn't have been more wrong.

Corrin found himself standing in front of his bedroom door, unable to remember much of the trip there. Elise gestured for Corrin to enter, which, numbly, he did. He entered his dim room, lit a few lamps, and sat on his bed.

His eyes gradually focused over the course of a few moments, and—Elise was there. She was sitting in a chair opposite Corrin's bed, watching him expectantly, a tiny smile adorning her expression.

"So," Elise began. "I guess… you have something to say?"

"Yeah…" Corrin shook his head. _Out with it. Open your heart. You know how she feels._ "Elise. I'm in love with you." He tensed. "I've—I've _always_ been in love with you."

Her expression didn't change. The same, peaceful smile.

"…And, you were always in love with me, too. Weren't you?"

The room was deathly quiet. Corrin was shivering with dread, fear, anticipation.

But—

Guilt?

…No, it was… fading…

Fading away.

"Of course, Corrin."

Elise's quiet response pierced the silence, and Corrin found himself short on breath as if drowning.

"I feel like I've always known," Corrin murmured. "All the pieces were there…"

"Well, you figured it all out on your own, huh?" Elise giggled. "Corrin, I'm so happy for you! Look at you, opening your heart!"

"We should have been together." Corrin shook his head. "We should _always_ have been together."

"Corrin…" She left her chair to sit by Corrin on the bed instead. She rested her head on his shoulder and rubbed his back. "C'mon, now. Don't be like that." She grinned up at him. "Remember, you can't change the past. You can only make sure that the future is better!"

"The future _won't_ be better!" Corrin snapped, but her arm squeezed around him, soothing. Though a burst of anger had overtaken him, he quickly deflated under Elise's touch. The emotions rocking him were no longer hostile, but—

He was in love with Elise. She was in love with him. The truth was free.

The truth…

The heavy weight of honesty impacted Corrin, and at last, he could see through the cracks. He had known this would happen, but—it hurt, and he didn't know why.

"Gah," Corrin gasped. He could hardly breathe. Hot liquid was pooling at the edge of his eyes. "G-Gods—why? Why did it have to b-be like…" He shook his head vehemently.

"Shhh," Elise cooed. "Corrin, it'll be fine…"

"No it won't!" Corrin's voice was tinted with pain. "Elise—I've—for so long, since the war ended, I…"

"I know, sweetie…"

She eased Corrin onto his back. Elise crawled along, lying beside him and cradling his head. She continued humming peacefully as Corrin shook with broken gasps.

"Elise," Corrin groaned. He shook his head again; tears ran down his cheeks. "I've—I've been keeping myself so busy, to _forget._ Since, s-since the war, I can't—stop thinking, about you, about Xander, about Azura… If I don't have something to—to take my mind off—to repress—then, I, I lose myself…"

Elise stroked his hair comfortingly. She wore the same reassuring smile.

Corrin couldn't help but laugh without a trace of humor. "Gods, and I have n-no one to b-blame but myself. Everything that's h-happened is entirely my fault." He looked up at her; eyes bleary with tears, he could barely even see her. "…Why?"

"Why what, Corrin?" she whispered soothingly.

"Why didn't I… pick you? I knew! Even th-then, I knew, so why didn't I?!"

Elise laughed lightly, quieting Corrin's self-directed indignation. "Oh, come on, Corrin… that's not fair to yourself. You made that choice based on an _ideal."_ She pressed her cheek into his hair. "You believed in Hoshido. What you did, you did because you thought it was _right!_ It was always bigger than just me." She shrugged. "From there… it was all fate."

"How can you talk about _fate_ when you say you want me to make a better future?!"

Elise shook her head. "I meant what I said, Corrin! Our pasts can't be changed. What happened, _happened._ That, I think, is what we mean when we talk about our _'fates.'_ But there's so much more to do! So much more _you_ can do! You can seize your future, and make that fate your own, Corrin! I've _always_ believed in you. You KNOW that!"

Corrin did not have an immediate response. He tried—unsuccessfully—to rein in his breathing, to try to stop crying.

"H-How…?" He sniffed. "…I always thought, deep down, that you'd always be by my side, Elise. How can I go on, how can I change _anything,_ if it's not for you?"

Elise clicked her tongue playfully. "So _cynical!_ Corrin, you don't need me to tell you that there's so much more to live for. And more importantly…" She hugged him tightly. "You know I'll never leave you, not really."

He knew, he knew it wouldn't last, but, as he clung to what remained of this fantasy, a fiery impulse shot through Corrin, bringing words to him unbidden: "S-Stay the night, Elise… Please." He choked back a sob. "Please…"

A pause. Elise seemed to be mulling over the suggestion, still wearing the same smile. Her fingers ran through his hair, raising goose bumps on his skin.

"I can't be with you like this, not forever," she whispered into his ear. "But… I can promise you the one night."

Tears streamed from Corrin's eyes, and he let loose his agony with incoherent sobs, the _guilt_ and the _dread_ and the _truth_ all collapsing onto him in one fell blow. "E-Elise," he gasped: the only word he could summon. "Elise…"

Elise held him tightly, allowing him to cry himself to sleep.

"It'll be okay. I promise. I'll never really leave you, never ever. So let it all out, okay…?"

* * *

 **March 19: Morning**

Knock-knock-knock.

The sound pulled Corrin from slumber. His thoughts uncollected, he blearily reached around, mumbling her name with a hoarse throat: "Elise…?"

But as he sat up, grogginess fading into reality, he found that his room was empty.

Obviously.

Of course she wouldn't be here.

He knew that.

Knock-knock-knock. A voice that wasn't Felicia's accompanied the knock that wasn't Felicia's: "Corrin?"

Corrin coughed raggedly, forcing last night's phlegm and tears from his throat. "Come in."

The door opened enough to allow Camilla's violet hair through. "Good morning, dear." She noted his red eyes, limp posture, and vacant look; "…How are you feeling?"

Corrin didn't feel much. The agony was gone, even the guilt, but what was left was… hollow.

He couldn't meet his sister's eye. "I had a dream about Elise." His voice was empty.

Camilla winced, sobering. "Oh… I'm so sorry, Corrin."

"It's okay." Corrin eased himself out of his bed; moving his legs took effort. He felt drained, void of energy.

"Today is the day," Camilla attempted quietly. "Leo and the Advisory Board will arrive later this morning to hear the presentation you've worked on. …Do you feel well enough?"

Corrin paused, assessing himself. "I don't feel sick."

"That's… good! Yes, that's good." Camilla clasped her hands together, forcing a smile. "So, get dressed… into something new," she noticed that he had gone to bed in yesterday's clothes, "…and fetch yourself some breakfast. Hinoka will have the speech ready for you when you arrive at the auditorium."

"Sure."

Camilla hesitated in the doorway, watching Corrin slowly gain his feet. "…I'm so sorry I'll be busy," she murmured. "I won't be able to join you for breakfast, and I imagine the others can't either—"

"It's fine," Corrin interrupted. There was no venom to his voice, nor impatience. "I promise I will eat." His lack of _presence_ was disturbing.

"…If… you say so," Camilla replied, and she closed the door.

* * *

 **March 19: Breakfast**

Everybody was busy, even Felicia. Everyone was packing, preparing for today to be over. More than two-thirds of the fort would be evacuating once this meeting was done—scattering to the winds—and certainly, Corrin couldn't blame them for their eagerness to leave. They'd been stuck here for the better part of two weeks just to work. Work, and bicker with their neighbors across the border. Corrin didn't know what he'd do once his work here was done, but he knew he'd be just as ready to leave as them…

He forced the tasteless oatmeal down, mentally reciting the speech he'd memorized almost entirely by heart. He didn't need to—he'd have the whole thing in front of him; he didn't need to memorize a word of it—but for now, mentally reciting what excerpts he knew kept his mind occupied. If there was one thing he didn't want to do right now, it was _think._

Yet, he couldn't resist. Visions of Elise's smiling face hovered in his periphery, just out of reach, fainter than they had ever been.

He choked down another vapid spoonful of oatmeal.

 _I feel fine._ Swallowing hurt his sore throat, but he was certain that this was no longer a symptom of illness, merely being a holdover from last night's tears. No, he was in perfect health, he knew. The urge to cough had vanished. No sniffing, no headache—especially once he had had some water to replace what he'd cried out yesterday. He was the picture of health.

He stirred his oatmeal absently. _It was self-inflicted. It was all my own doing._

 _I've been taking up all this work to keep my thoughts from Elise, from everyone I've lost… And when that stress became too much for me to bear alone, I manufactured a delusion to lighten the load. But that only made things worse. By lying to myself,_ deluding _myself,_ _I was feeding into the stress, making it even more potent…_

 _But…_

 _Ah, gods, it was worth it._

 _To spend another moment with Elise…_

That option was forever closed to him, now. He had grieved. He was _still_ grieving. He would never be able to delude himself that convincingly ever again. With this closure—as painful, as _meaningless,_ as _EMPTY_ as it all felt—he was forced to accept the truth.

He had opened his heart. He did what he had to do.

These consequences should have been expected. Was it not the end goal, really?

He finished his breakfast, silently…

Alone.

…

 _Typical._

* * *

 **March 19: Late Morning**

Corrin was barely conscious as he mechanically delivered the speech to the otherwise-silent auditorium. The pages were spread out before him on the podium; he read from them verbatim, not hearing the words rolling from his lips.

His Highness King Leo sat at the forefront of Corrin's dimly-lit audience, propping his cheek upon his fist but still clearly invested in the monotony. His father's crown adorned his head…

Takumi sat by the king's side, seeming more interested in staring at Corrin than listening. Perhaps he was analyzing Corrin's dead expression. Corrin didn't have the energy to give it any thought.

The horde of scribbling pens from the audience beyond was deafening…

* * *

 **March 19: Afternoon**

It was so anticlimactic. So much stress over an hour-long speech and some resulting discussion between Hoshido and Nohr; while it had been surprisingly civil, Corrin couldn't force himself to listen. His mind had rested blankly, thinking of nothing as he sat amongst the crowd and waited for it to end.

Takumi had encouraged Corrin to adjourn early, which Leo had quickly agreed to; they had evidently received word of Corrin's poor health of late, and insisted he reach the mess hall to have lunch. Thus Corrin found himself, again, eating alone in the nearly-barren hall, stuffing bite after tasteless bite of whatever the hell this food was into his mouth.

 _"Do you ever wonder if what you've done REALLY matters?"_

If this had all been important after all, it wasn't immediately apparent. Perhaps Nohr's leadership wouldn't take a shine to the proposal. Perhaps—Corrin almost laughed—perhaps they would simply discard it, deem it disagreeable enough so as to be worthless. Wouldn't that be funny? Oh, Corrin's stomach turned at the very prospect.

What was it all for? …To help him forget… In the end, that's all this was. He wasn't out to _change the world._ He was out to distract himself, to stop thinking. If he thought for too long, allowed Xander and Elise to not be alive, then he would surely be suffocated by grief.

That's all it was…

He stopped his hand, another slab of unappealing food adorning his fork, and he dropped it. He couldn't stomach another bite.

* * *

 **March 19: Late Afternoon**

From there, he had returned to the auditorium to see the discussions through to the end. He paid no attention. Just sat, waited. He mused that he could have just stayed in the mess hall.

Mundane hours whiled away, and the room had adjourned before Corrin knew it. He found that he didn't care what consensus had been reached. He simply disappeared through a back exit when the rest stood to leave.

Felicia had lain in wait outside, immediately singling Corrin out as he exited. She offered food—"And company, if you're okay with watching me do dishes while you eat? It's the least I could do for leaving you alone during lunch today."

Corrin agreed—initially as a platitude, but soon realizing that, yes, he was very hungry. He'd barely touched his lunch, he recalled.

The kitchens were devoid of seating, so Corrin leaned against a counter while he ate, standing next to Felicia as she scrubbed dish after dish in the sink. For a long time, they were peaceful. Even idle chitchat fell by the wayside in favor of pleasant company.

Corrin knew that the bowl in his hands contained the same food he'd eaten at lunch, but for some reason, it tasted better now. He wolfed it down with little restraint.

"Are you finished with that dish?" Felicia asked. Bemused at the break in the silence, Corrin nodded, and he handed the bowl to her. She immediately took to cleaning it with practiced care.

There was something about her, Corrin realized. Something in her… aura, her mien, that told Corrin that she _knew,_ somehow, what had transpired last night. Maybe his demeanor gave it away, his absence of emotion.

She'd known all along, but she didn't take shattering his fantasy into her own hands. Let him come to terms with reality on his own. Corrin softly cleared his throat, preparing to take his own turn at piercing the quiet. "…Thank you, for… humoring me."

Felicia paused for a moment, but only a moment. Without replying, without even a change of expression or a movement of her gaze, she returned to scrubbing his bowl clean. And so, silence returned.

Corrin leaned against the counter, letting out a breath. He was done eating. He could just leave. But he didn't have anything to do. Anywhere to go. Might as well stay. Felicia's good company.

Felicia placed the dripping bowl on the rack with the others, and she pulled a different teacup from the unclean stack. She took to cleaning that cup as well, using a damp towel to wipe it down with care.

"I'm gonna be totally honest with you, Corrin." Felicia glanced over at him, noticing his eyebrow was raised curiously at her second intrusion on the silence. "I think love—well, ROMANTIC love—is overrated."

Corrin blinked. "What?"

Felicia smiled slightly, a sad look to her, as she returned her attention to the teacup in her hands. "I'm just saying… there's more to life than that, y'know? You don't HAVE to have a girlfriend. You don't even HAVE to get married… _ever_. Not if you don't want to."

Corrin couldn't help but feel that her words were pointed. Feeling an ache in his heart, he started to form a dissenting response, but she kept talking.

"Sometimes, just companionship is enough, you know?" Her voice was quiet. She seemed very firm in not looking at him. "Sometimes just… being _with_ someone is enough. It doesn't have to be love, not like that." She paused, tightly gripping the cup. "…Your feelings are for… her. Even now, even after…" Her voice was quivering. "S-So, you might not ever feel that way about anyone else again. And, I understand that that's… probably the case." Taking a breath, she continued to wipe down the teacup. "But companionship… That can be enough, I think. Being with the person you lo—er… being with someone at all, I mean. …Sometimes, you really don't need anything more than not being alone."

Corrin was at a loss for words.

"And you aren't alone, okay? You'll never be alone." She finally looked at him, long enough to give a teasing wink. "I won't _let_ you be alone! You're stuck with me 'til you die, milord, like it or not."

Her attempt at levity succeeded in drawing a little smile from the prince. Felicia seemed pleased with her victory, but she hesitated. Carefully setting the half-washed teacup aside, Felicia turned around to face Corrin.

"Milord," Felicia began quietly, wringing her hands, "I… I've told you, before, that serving you is my joy. I, um, I _love_ working for you. And you always appreciated my help, even when I was incompetent…"

"You're not…" Corrin began, but he trailed off, eyes drifting over the massive stack of cleaned dishes, sparkling and in flawless condition.

Felicia noticed the motion of his eyes, and laughed. "Yeah, I, I'm much better," she said weakly. "I haven't dropped a plate in months. And, it's thanks to you, Corrin."

His eyebrows furrowed. "But I haven't…"

"Serving you IS my joy, milord," Felicia murmured. "It's also… my life, really. And I have to apologize. Corrin, you've, you've been like a crutch for me. Something to… keep me sane." She chuckled again, with even less energy; "I still hear her voice every now and again. Sometimes—when I'm alone, when I'm cleaning or doing some other mundane thing—I can almost feel Flora right there, working right alongside me, like nothing's changed. And—and when I'm about to make a mistake, I hear her correcting me before I even do it. Without you—without someone _real,_ someone I care about just as much, right here in front of me—"

Her hands fidgeted, as if wanting to touch Corrin, ascertain his corporeality. But she meekly withdrew her twitching fingers. "…Without you, I think I'd do the exact same thing," she whispered. "I cling to you because, if I didn't, I'd pretend she was real, too. I'd hand myself over to fantasy."

Corrin felt the blow of her words strike color into his world. "Oh… Oh, gods, Felicia…"

"Please don't feel bad." She smiled for him. "Corrin, you let me in on your dream. Me, and only me. I was the only one who knew about Elise, right? …I'm a bit flattered, milord."

"I've been so absorbed in myself," Corrin murmured. "I should have noticed…"

"In this case, I think it's okay," Felicia answered. "I think… you can be forgiven for grieving."

"Felicia…" Corrin moved closer, arms outstretched, and he enveloped the maid in a tight hug. "Gods, Felicia… I don't deserve you."

"Aha, there you go again," Felicia teased in spite of the tears welling in her eyes; she reciprocated the hug and nestled her chin onto his shoulder. "Y-You aren't the only damaged one here, Corrin."

"Hahh…" Corrin was panting, willing tears forward. Gods, he wasn't alone. He was never alone.

It was so obvious. Of course Camilla would get the impression she did of him and Felicia. It was because they were the same.

And, judging by the shuddering of Corrin's aching chest, perhaps there was truth to Camilla's assertion, after all…

"W-Well…" Felicia patted Corrin on the back. "I think that's about long enough, right…?"

Corrin slowly pulled away from Felicia, confused. "What do you mean?"

Felicia brushed tears from her eyes. "Sorry, but… I _miiight_ have fibbed a little earlier. I said I was just giving you a meal—and I was!—but um, your siblings also asked me to occupy you for a while."

Corrin blinked. Felicia was gesturing behind him, so he turned.

In the entrance to the kitchens, Camilla leaned against the doorframe, smiling widely for Corrin. She stepped aside to allow Corrin a better view: just outside the door stood…

 _…Everyone_. Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura, Leo… All wore the exact same smile, expectantly watching Corrin.

"It seems we all have a bit of free time," Camilla offered. "Would you like to spend this evening together?" She gestured at everyone. "…As a family?"

Corrin had nothing to say. The same blunt attack of emotions from the other day assaulted his senses yet again.

"You know," said Leo, "there's a lovely hill not too far from this fort that overlooks most of the area. A lonely oak sits atop it. It's rather picturesque, or so I hear."

"What do you say, brother?" Takumi asked.

No words had yet to arrive in Corrin's thoughts, but they could see in his stunned expression the impact their offer had had on him.

Corrin slowly, numbly turned around to face Felicia. She wore the same smile as the rest when she said, "Go on, now."

Corrin nodded without a word, and he moved toward his siblings on sluggish feet.

Content, Felicia turned to the sink and picked up where she had left off. For a moment, she was at peace.

When, suddenly, she was spun around and being pulled into an intense embrace. It took her a moment to even realize that it was Corrin she was hugging.

"Th… Thank you, Felicia," Corrin gasped. "For… everything."

Felicia couldn't help but laugh. _In front of his siblings and everything._ "O-Of course, milord."

"Corrin," he insisted.

"…Corrin." She smiled widely, hugging him tighter. Under her breath, she whispered, "Maybe you could make it up to me over some drinks?"

"Absolutely. Anytime." This time, it was completely intentional when Corrin pressed his lips, very briefly, against her cheek. She exhaled sharply at his boldness.

At that, Corrin released her. Both were flushed red and on the verge of tears, and seemingly in unison they turned away from each other, back to what they had to do.

Felicia couldn't bear to turn around until the door had shut behind them. When it did, she set the teacup down and leaned against the sink, trembling and breathless with anticipation.

 _Did you see that, Flora…?_ _Things are going to get better. I knew they would._

* * *

 **March 19: Evening**

"To Hoshido." From his position seated closest to the oak, Leo raised his glass.

Ryoma grinned, meeting Leo's eye and raising his glass as well. "To Nohr."

"You brought _wine_ all the way out here?" Corrin asked, bemused.

"Yes," said Leo with a chuckle, handing the prince another glass. "Pilfered it from Castle Krakenburg's cellar before I came."

Corrin took the glass, and he let Hinoka fill it with violet liquid. No: lavender. Lavender…

And now that he had his glass in hand, he noticed all of his siblings, from both sides of the continent, were watching him, glasses aloft, waiting for him to speak.

His whole family…

"To… family," Corrin added slowly, and he received warm responses of "To family!" before both sides, seven royals, toasted.

As he lowered his glass, Corrin couldn't shake his gaze from the wine. The color was intoxicating. In it, he could see—

"She didn't like much alcohol," Leo murmured, interrupting his thoughts. "I recall she found it "almost as awful as tea." Isn't that right, Camilla?"

The princess chuckled quietly. "Hoho. Yes, assuredly. But this wine was the exception, wasn't it?"

"Indeed." Leo swirled his glass. "I recall she held this one drink above all others—not just tolerating it, but _adoring_ it. Didn't she say it alone could make an alcoholic of her?"

"Yes, she did. How… appropriate the color is, I've always thought."

All eyes turned to Leo as he raised his glass again. Fixing his eyes onto Corrin, lowering his voice to a solemn tone, he declared, "To Elise. Happy birthday, dear sister. We wish you could be here."

"To Elise," came the echoes, and all toasted.

But Corrin paused, eyes drifting to the oak towering overhead. "…To Elise," Corrin murmured, raising his glass. The others were smiling, laughing, as conversation began to flow. Hoshido and Nohr alike. "You would have loved to see this."

He glanced down at the fizzling drink. "Maybe I _have_ changed the world for the better."

Corrin tilted his head back and let the alcohol race down.


	7. Epilogue

**VII. Epilogue**

 **March 20: Late Morning**

The fort was lively this morning, much like it had been twelve days ago. The halls were bustling with people, Nohrian and Hoshidan both: soldiers, nobles, workers. Busy times. Where everyone had been rushing to unpack then, they were hurrying to escape this place now. Corrin waded patiently through the crowd on his trip to his final stop.

With the help of Felicia and Jakob, he'd packed the rest of his belongings promptly. Only one last thing remained to account for, and only he could fetch it.

Corrin had to squint to pierce the dark room, wishing he had brought a lamp. By the time he had arrived, the armory was practically vacant; most of the visiting soldiers had taken their weapons with them to escort their wards home. Silas, for example, was already waiting for Corrin outside, assuredly with an empty wagon ready for departure.

Corrin needn't have locked the cage that he'd left his only blade behind. No one could lift the sword, much less wield it. But when he had arrived here weeks ago, he had wanted it locked away. Moreover, he'd wanted to leave it in Hoshido. Wanted nothing to do with it, but Ryoma had insisted.

He opened the cage, a frown touching his features as he beheld the Blazing Yato stored within. It shone in its owner's presence, contrasting the tenebrous arsenal.

Corrin's fingers twitched, lingering on the cage rather than reaching for the weapon.

"I hated you." Corrin's expression was pained, but he could not stop staring at the golden blade. "You were forged to be the key to peace in the world, and you chose me. You chose me, gave me my own destiny of _choice._ Made me the crux of fate. Because of your decision, I was the one to choose Hoshido, the one to win the war for them." He shook his head. "I blamed you… for what happened to them. Xander, Azura, Lilith, Flora… Elise. Because of you, I had to choose between them and what I felt was right."

At last, the prince reached for the blade. It hummed with anticipation at its wielder's touch.

"You looked so different when we first met," Corrin mused. "You didn't glow with this white light. You were… neutral. You were of a time where I was uncertain. Where I thought I could return to Nohr if I believed I must. Perhaps, by hiding you away like this, I thought I could return to that time. I could pretend you lacked the power my Hoshidan family had infused in you."

He hefted the Yato, running his fingers along its smooth blade, and he was _there,_ he could _feel_ the last time he'd wielded the blade like this. He could remember, clear as day, when it had shattered under Garon's malefic strength… until he could feel _them_ fighting alongside him.

"…But it wasn't enough back then, was it," he murmured. "The power of Hoshido was not enough. Only when fueled by the faith of Xander and Elise did you have the might to fell Garon…" He chuckled tiredly, shaking his head. "In the end, only when my family was united could we truly change the world."

Corrin slid the Yato onto his belt—a spot that had lain vacant for far too long.

"And by ignoring the truth, I was insulting their memory."

Corrin turned his back on the cage and strode away.

"There is so much more to be done. Can I trust you to keep my path true, Yato?" The prince chuckled. "But I'm certain you would not have chosen me if you didn't believe. I'll prove yet that I can make a difference. I'll show you."

Corrin left the dim armory behind, entering the light.

* * *

-END-

* * *

 _Author's note:_

 _Big thanks to Robotortoise for all of his help with editing and more. :)_


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